This unusual purple octocoral in the family Plexauridae was observed at a depth of 1,368 meters (4,488 feet) during Dive 09 of the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition. During the dive, we also saw at least five species of black corals, a bamboo coral in the genus Acanella, and two other species of octocoral.
Purple Octocoral
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones: New England and Corner Rise Seamounts. Download larger version (jpg, 1.6 MB).

This unusual purple octocoral in the family Plexauridae was observed at a depth of 1,368 meters (4,488 feet) during Dive 09 of the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition. During the dive, we also saw at least five species of black corals, a bamboo coral in the genus Acanella, and two other species of octocoral.

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