Coral Gardens

These are highly diverse habitats comprising dense aggregations of corals which may reach densities of between 100 and 700 colonies per 100m2. Coral gardens can occur on both soft and hard substrate. They favour areas where there is a moderate to strong current and include solitary hard corals, sea pens, bamboo coral, gorgonians, hydro-corals and black coral. The associated fauna is also biodiverse comprising basketstars, brittlestars, featherstars, molluscs, crustaceans and various fish species. At present in Scottish waters they are known principally from the Anton Dohrn sea mount but further surveys are likely to discover new locations.

Pressures

Like most coral communities these are likely to be sensitive to demersal trawling activities and the effects of smothering.