Black coral

This is the Hawaiian “black coral”, another proteinaceous species. Antipathes is harvested commercially, as a source of raw material to produce carvings, statues, and jewelery. The sustainability of this type of fishery is very much dependent on a balance between harvest rates and growth rates of the coral - about which we currently know very little. Image courtesy of Exploring Alaska's Seamounts 2002, NOAA/OER.

Related Links

Exploring Alaska's Seamounts

Exploring Alaska's Seamounts: Coral Reproduction

NOAA Ocean Explorer Gallery