Gorgonian Fan Coral

The Great Southern Reef is more than just kelp forest. Under ledges an in caves where sunlight doesn’t reach, communities of cold water corals and other invertebrates thrive. Unlike tropical corals, cold-water corals don't have symbiotic algae living in their polyps so they don’t need sunlight to survive. They are commonly found in areas of high current as they feed solely by capturing food particles from the surrounding water.