This image shows the beautiful and characteristic spiral shape of the appropriately named octocoral, Iridogorgia magnispiralis. Dive 06 marked our first sighting of this species during the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition. During this dive, we also saw corals in the genera Desmophyllum, Metallogorgia, Acanella, Paramuricea, and Stauropathes for the first time on the expedition.
Octocoral, Iridogorgia magnispiralis
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones: New England and Corner Rise Seamounts. Download larger version (jpg, 1.1 MB).

This image shows the beautiful and characteristic spiral shape of the appropriately named octocoral, Iridogorgia magnispiralis. Dive 06 marked our first sighting of this species during the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition. During this dive, we also saw corals in the genera Desmophyllum, Metallogorgia, Acanella, Paramuricea, and Stauropathes for the first time on the expedition.

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