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This bubblegum coral has a fanlike shape. It is growing 1,310 m (4,298 ft) deep on the Davidson Seamount.

Bubblegum Coral

This bubblegum coral (Paragorgia arborea) has a fanlike shape. It is growing 1,310 m (4,298 ft) deep on the Davidson Seamount southwest of Monterey, California. Learn more about deep-sea corals in the multimedia feature "Coral Gardens of the Deep Sea."

: Black corals often resemble bushes or trees. Their living tissue can be one of several colors. It’s the skeleton that is black.

Black Corals

Black corals, like this one growing on the Manning Seamount off the New England coast, often resemble bushes or trees. Contrary to its name, the living tissue of black coral can be one of several colors. It’s the skeleton that is black. See more pictures of coral in our Deep-sea Corals article.

Gerardia, or gold coral, species often have a tree-like shape, as evident in this specimen.

Gold Coral

Species of deep-sea gold coral, or Gerardia, often have a tree-like shape, as you can see in this specimen. See more pictures of coral in our Deep-sea Corals article.

: A thicket of Lophelia pertusa, a widespread deep sea coral, shelters a squat lobster.

Coral Thicket with Lobster

A thicket of white stony coral (Lophelia pertusa) shelters a squat lobster (Eumunida picta). This is the typical shape of this widespread species of deep-sea coral. See more pictures of coral in our Deep-sea Corals article.

Black coral, primnoid coral, and feather stars flourish deep on the pristine Davidson Seamount.

Diverse Deep-Sea Coral Community

A diversity of deep-sea corals—including primnoid coral (Narella sp.), black coral (Trissopathes pseudtristicha), and feather stars (Florometra serratissima)—flourish 2,669 m (8,757 ft) deep on the pristine Davidson Seamount off the coast of California. Explore more in the multimedia feature "Coral Gardens of the Deep Sea."

These deep-sea corals at the Madison-Swanson Marine Reserve are protected, along with the marine life they harbor.

Protected Deep-sea Corals

These deep-sea corals at the Madison-Swanson Marine Reserve in the Gulf of Mexico are protected, along with the marine life they harbor. Learn more about deep-sea corals and marine protected areas in our Deep-sea Corals article.

A net used to trawl the ocean floor scooped up this large specimen of deep-sea coral.

Coral Trapped in Trawler Net

A net used to trawl the ocean floor scooped up this large specimen of deep-sea coral. Because the ship was trawling for other species, the coral was discarded as bycatch. Fishing in deep-water habitats poses a major threat to deep-sea corals. Read more about vulnerable coral habitats in our Deep-sea Corals article.

A comparison of an undisturbed Oculina coral reef and one that has been devastated by trawling.

Undisturbed vs. Trawled Reef

The Oculina deep-sea coral reef at top has not been disturbed by humans. Trawling has devastated the one at bottom. Only about 10 percent of Oculina habitat remains intact. Learn more about vulnerable deep-sea corals in the multimedia feature "Coral Gardens of the Deep Sea."

This deep-sea coral specimen shows the bands that help marine scientists learn how ocean conditions changed over time.

Deep-Sea Coral Bands

This specimen of the deep-sea coral Desmophyllum dianthus shows the visible bands that help marine scientists learn how ocean conditions changed over time. By looking at the thickness of each band, scientists can estimate how much the corals grew during a given time period. This information sheds light on what ocean conditions existed during that period.

A rockfish finds refuge in a red tree coral, a deep-sea coral in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

Rockfish Sheltering in Coral

A rockfish finds refuge in a deep-sea coral—a red tree coral of the Primnoidae family in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Learn more about deep-sea coral reef ecosystems in our Deep-sea Corals article.