Black Coral

Photo: 104623964081378888743 · CC BY-NC

Black corals have colonized the wreck's elevated structure and anchor chain extensively, forming branching tree-like colonies that are decades old and provide habitat for an array of associated invertebrates and small fish. Despite their name they appear brown or red in situ without artificial light, and their white or yellow polyps are extended continuously to filter-feed from the mild current sweeping over the wreck. Black corals are significant in Rapa Nui marine culture and their abundance on this site is an indicator of how undisturbed the reef environment remains.