Black coral tree

Photo: terence zahner · CC BY-NC

Black coral colonies at Nag's Head reach exceptional size due to the sustained nutrient upwelling from the channel. Individual colonies can exceed 2 metres in height, creating a structural complexity on the wall that rivals any coral reef ecosystem. They host specialised communities of invertebrates and fish that are not found on the adjacent reef, including several species of commensal shrimp visible only with a torch. Historically overharvested for jewellery throughout the Caribbean; their abundance at this protected site is ecologically significant and should not be touched or disturbed under any circumstances.