Scientists discover new species of black corals near the Great Barrier Reef

Source: The post is based on the article “Scientists discover new species of black corals near the Great Barrier Reef” published in The Hindu on 27th November 2022.

What is the News?

Researchers at Smithsonian Institution, Washington have discovered five new species of black corals living as deep as 2,500 feet (760 metres) below the surface in the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea off the coast of Australia.

What are Black Corals?

Black Corals are also known as Antipatharians or thorn corals. They are an order of soft deep-water corals.

These corals can be recognized by their jet-black or dark brown chitin skeletons, surrounded by polyps (part of coral that is alive).

Habitat: Black corals can be found growing both in shallow waters and down to depths of over 26,000 feet (8,000 meters), and some individual corals can live for over 4,000 years.

Features: Black coral reproduces both sexually and asexually throughout its lifetime.

– Many of the Black Corals are branched and look like feathers, fans or bushes, while others are straight like a whip. Unlike the colourful corals that rely on the sun and photosynthesis for energy, black corals are filter feeders and eat tiny zooplankton that are abundant in deep waters.

Uses: Though they have historically been used by Pacific Islanders for medical treatment and in rituals, it’s only modern use is making jewellery. 

Significance: Black corals act as an important habitat where fish and invertebrates feed and hide from predators in what is otherwise a mostly barren sea floor.

Concerns: Black corals have been declining in numbers and are expected to continue declining due to the effects of poaching, ocean acidification and climate change.