This spiral Iridigorgia coral, seen during Dive 19 of the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition, was covered in crinoids, an unusual observation. Throughout the dive, we observed 29 different species of coral, including corals belonging to the genera Metallogorgia, Paramuricea, Acanella, Paramuricea, Hemicorallium, Acanthogorgia, Clavularia, Anthomastus, Iridigorgia, Paragorgia, Isidella, Swiftia, Candidella, and Chrysogorgia.
Spiral Iridigorgia Coral Covered in Crinoids
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 spiral Iridigorgia coral, seen during Dive 19 of the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition, was covered in crinoids, an unusual observation. Throughout the dive, we observed 29 different species of coral, including corals belonging to the genera Metallogorgia, Paramuricea, Acanella, Paramuricea, Hemicorallium, Acanthogorgia, Clavularia, Anthomastus, Iridigorgia, Paragorgia, Isidella, Swiftia, Candidella, and Chrysogorgia.

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