Pink coral and red sea anemone on a dark rocky underwater surface.
Hemicorallids
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue. Download larger version (jpg, 2.04 MB).
Near the end of Dive 10 of the Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping expedition, we encountered a high-density, high-diversity community dominated by large Hemicorallium colonies. Given the slow growth rate and size of the Hemicorallids, many of which were more than a meter in width, it is likely that they are many hundreds of years old.