A delicate, translucent, ribbed coral structure rests on a sandy ocean floor dotted with small rocks.
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Black Coral
This coral gets its common name of “black coral” from its black skeleton made of protein and chitin, rather than the white polyps that cover the skeleton. Seen during Dive 09 of the 2026 American Samoa ROV + Mapping Exploration expedition.
Credit

NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2026 American Samoa ROV + Mapping Exploration