An Acanthogorgia gorgonian coral skeleton provides substrate and habitat for many other species including a white Clavularia stoloned octocoral, antarcturid isopods (crustaceans), demosponges hexactinellid glass sponges and tube-dwelling polychaete worms. The host gorgonian still has living Acanthogorgia branches of polyps to the left and right. Collected at around 560m depth off Lecointe Island in the Gerlache Strait, Antarctic Peninsula.
Greenpeace is on a three-month expedition to the Antarctic to carry out scientific research, including seafloor submarine dives, to highlight the urgent need for the creation of a 1.8 million square kilometre Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary. Key findings from the footage and samples gathered from the submarine dives will be shared with the Antarctic Ocean Commission (CCAMLR) to establish localised protections as well as to strengthen this and other upcoming proposals for marine protection in the Antarctic.