Black Coral

Black coral colonies form dense thickets along Salt River's canyon walls below 25 metres, providing critical microhabitat for longnose hawkfish, brittle stars, and juvenile reef fish. Despite its name the living polyps appear white or golden; the black colour belongs to the skeletal proteinaceous axis exposed only when dead or harvested. Salt River's black coral is federally protected under the Coral Reef Conservation Act and represents some of the healthiest stands remaining in the US Caribbean.