Chrysogorgia coral with shrimp

Chrysogorgia coral with siphonophore

Chrysogorgia coral with siphonophore

Chrysogorgia coral with siphonophore

Chrysogorgia coral with siphonophore - note tentacles extended for capture of prey.

Chrysogorgia coral with siphonophore - note tentacles extended for capture of prey.

Chrysogorgia coral with siphonophore and squat lobster.

Yellowish-white octocoral bush with brittle stars and squat lobsters.

Yellowish-white octocoral bush with brittle stars and squat lobster.

White chrysogorgia coral with squat lobster

Deepwater Horizon study site with purple coral bushes (is this natural or function of hydrocarbons in water column?)

Dead coral bush with large barnacles and delicate white octocoral.

Large purple white coral bush in vicinity of Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Large purple white octocoral bush in vicinity of Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Large purple white octocoral bush in vicinity of Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Large purple white octocoral bush in vicinity of Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Whitish-yellow octocoral bush.

Delicate white coral and tube worms. Note delicate filaments perhaps associated with small zooanthids.

Lophelia pertusa coral with smaller white stylaster corals in the foreground and a white sponge and worm tubes in lower right and upper left.

Lophelia pertusa coral in the background with polyps extended and smaller white stylaster corals in the foreground.

Closeup of lophelia pertusa coral polyps

A beautiful small lace coral next to a larger white stony coral.

A small white octocoral with polyps extended and a stylaster coral in the upper right corner.

A creamy white stony coral with an associated squat lobster.

Peach-colored octocoral with translucent white polyps

Callogorgia sp. coral

Callogorgia sp. coral

A small callogorgia? coral

A small white octocoral with large polyps and numerous hydroids

A solitary cup coral on a sandy bottom

A solitary cup coral on a sandy bottom

A stony white coral with delicate polyps

A lace coral

Appears to be an odd form of bubble gum coral (Paragorgia sp.) growing on the surface as opposed to in tree form. The large white translucent polyps show this to be an octocoral.

Appears to be an odd form of bubble gum coral (Paragorgia sp.) growing on the surface as opposed to in tree form. The large white translucent polyps show this to be an octocoral.

A delicate white octocoral with polyps extended.

A large solitary cup coral with polyps extended.

Paramuricid coral on top and bamboo coral below on vertical wall.

Paramuricid coral with small brittle star.

Closeup of polyps of paramuricid coral possibly affected by Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Closeup of polyps of paramuricid coral possibly affected by Deepwater Horizon oil spill. A small shrimp is also seen.

Paramuricid coral with small brittle star on a vertical wall.

Anchor point of large iridogorgia coral with white squat lobster to left. Two sponges and bamboo corals are also seen on the rock outcrop.

Iridogorgia sp. octocoral

Iridogorgia sp. octocoral. Looking up the stem of the spiraling bush.

Iridogorgia sp. octocoral

Iridogorgia sp. octocoral

Iridogorgia sp. octocoral

Iridogorgia sp. octocoral. The anchoring base.

Iridogorgia sp. octocoral