Franco Banfi / Red gorgonian coral (Paramuricea clavata) covered with mucilage, a symptom of rising sea temperature, Ventimiglia, Italy, Ligurian Sea, Mediterranean.

Franco Banfi / Red gorgonian coral (Paramuricea clavata) covered with mucilage, a symptom of rising sea temperature, Punta Campanella Marine Reserve, Massa Lubrense, Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean.

Franco Banfi / Red fan corals (Paramuricea clavata), Yellow gorgonian, (Eunicella cavolini) and Yellow cave-sponges (Aplysina cavernicola), Ischia Island, Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean.

Franco Banfi / Flamingo tongue cowrie (Cyphoma gibbosum) on Common sea fan (Gorgonia ventalina) Santa Lucia, Camaguey, Cuba, Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean

Franco Banfi / Branches of a gorgonian coral (Plexaurella sp) and Common sea fan (Gorgonia ventalina) Santa Lucia, Camaguey, Cuba, Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean

Franco Banfi / Azure vase sponge (Callyspongia plicifera) and Common sea fan (Gorgonia ventalina) Santa Lucia, Camaguey, Cuba, Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean

Franco Banfi / Large sea fan (Melithaea sp) Menjangan Island, Bali Island, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Franco Banfi / Scuba diver and Large sea fan (Melithaea sp) Menjangan Island, Bali Island, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean. September 2006.

Franco Banfi / Sea fan (Subergorgia mollis) Menjangan Island, Bali Island, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Franco Banfi / Scuba diver and Sea fan (Subergorgia mollis) Menjangan Island, Bali Island, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean. September 2006.

Franco Banfi / Scuba diver and Sea fan (Subergorgia mollis) Menjangan Island, Bali Island, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean. September 2006.

Alex Mustard / Hamners tritonia (Tritonia hamnerorum) nudibranchs feeding on a common sea fan (Gorgonia ventalina). Bloody Bay Wall, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands. Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Red Sea anemonefish (Amphiprion bicinctus) fans oxygen rich water over its clutch of eggs with its pectoral fin. The eggs are close to hatching and laid next to the red skirt of a magnificent sea anem...

Alex Mustard / Common seafan (Gorgonia ventalina) with sun shining behind, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Giant seafans (Melithaea sp.) growing on the wall of a channel between islands, with Glassfish (Ambassidae) Gorgonian Passage, Wayil Batan, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea.

Alex Mustard / Red sea fan (Melithaea sp.) on a coral reef wall. Nudi Rock, Fiabacet Islands, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Pete Oxford / Soft Coral (Gorgonia sp) on reef, Banco Chinchorro, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Pete Oxford / Coral reef, Banco Chinchorro, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Pascal Kobeh / Gorgonian or sea fan (Melithaea sp), New Caledonia, Pacific Ocean.

Pete Oxford / Gorgonian Sea Fan (Gorgonia sp), Rainbow Reef, Fiji

Michael Pitts / Fan coral (Gorgonacea), Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Michael Pitts / Fan coral (Gorgonacea), Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Sue Daly / Fan Coral (Eunicella verrucosa) white specimen, Guillaumesse, Sark, British Channel Islands.

Sue Daly / Fan Coral (Eunicella verrucosa) white and orange specimens, Guillaumesse, Sark, British Channel Islands.

Alex Mustard / Thriving reef scene, with Seafans (Melithaea sp.) and reef fish. Boo West, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea.

Alex Mustard / Tiny (10mm) pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) sheltering in seafan (Muricella sp.) Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Lembeh Strait, Molucca Sea.

Alex Mustard / Female Denise's pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus denise) on coral seafan (Annella mollis) Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea.

Solvin Zankl / Longnose hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus) in sea fan, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean.

Solvin Zankl / Sea fan (Acanthogorgia sp) Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean.

Alex Mustard / A nudibranch (Tritonia nilsodhneri) feeding on pink sea fan (Eunicella verrucosa). Breakwater Fort, Plymouth, Devon, England, Great Britain. Plymouth Sound, English Channel.

Alex Mustard / Mediterranean anthias (Anthias anthias) swarm over gorgonians (Paramuricea clavata). Marine Protected Area of Portofino (Area Marina Protetta, Portofino), Liguria, Italy. Mediterranean Sea. Model Rele...

Franco Banfi / Red sea fan (Paramuricea clavata) Stupiste Out dive site, Vis Island, Croatia, Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean

Franco Banfi / Wall covered with Sponges (Verongia / Aplysina cavernicola) and Red gorgonia (Paramuricea clavata) Ischia Island, Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean

Franco Banfi / Red seafan (Paramuricea clavata) damaged from the high temperature of the water, covered with algae, Ischia Island, Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean

Franco Banfi / Red seafan (Paramuricea clavata) damaged from the high temperature of the water, Ischia Island, Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean

Franco Banfi / Polyps of red seafan (Paramuricea clavata) Ischia Island, Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean

Franco Banfi / Catshark egg (Scyliorhinus sp) on Red sea fan (Paramuricea clavata) Stupiste In dive site, Vis Island, Croatia, Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean

Franco Banfi / Red sea fan (Paramuricea clavata) and Yellow cluster anemones (Parazoanthus axinellae) Wall of Bisevo, Vis Island, Croatia, Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean

Franco Banfi / Black coral (Gerardia savaglia) and Red sea fan (Paramuricea clavata) Wall of Bisevo, Vis Island, Croatia, Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean

Franco Banfi / Red seafan (Paramuricea clavata) and Yellow cluster anemone (Parazoanthus axinellae) Punta Sant'Angelo dive-site, Ischia Island, Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean

Franco Banfi / Red seafan (Paramuricea clavata) and fish, Ischia Island, Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean

Franco Banfi / Red seafan (Paramuricea clavata) and Yellow cluster anemone (Parazoanthus axinellae) Ischia Island, Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean

Franco Banfi / Red seafan (Paramuricea clavata) Yellow gorgonian (Eunicella cavolini), Yellow sponges (Aplysina cavernicola) and Yellow cluster anemone (Parazoanthus axinellae) Punta Sant'Angelo dive-site, Ischia Is...

Franco Banfi / Scuba diver and Red seafan (Paramuricea clavata) Yellow gorgonian (Eunicella cavolini) and Yellow Cluster Anemone (Parazoanthus axinellae), Punta Sant'Angelo dive-site, Ischia Island, Italy, Tyrrhenia...

Franco Banfi / Red seafan (Paramuricea clavata) Yellow gorgonian (Eunicella cavolini) and Yellow Cluster Anemone (Parazoanthus axinellae) Punta Sant'Angelo dive-site, Ischia Island, Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterran...

Franco Banfi / Tunicates (Clavelina sp) covering a seafan branches, Friwinbonda Point, Kri island, Raja Ampat, Irian Jaya, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Franco Banfi / Gorgonian sea fan (Acalycigorgia sp.) Fiabajet delight, Fiabajet Island, Raja Ampat, Irian Jaya, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Franco Banfi / Scuba diver and gorgonian sea fan (Acalycigorgia sp.) Fiabajet delight, Fiabajet Island, Raja Ampat, Irian Jaya, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Franco Banfi / Sea fan (Subergorgia mollis) close to the surface with Anchovy shoal (Engraulidae ) Raja Ampat, Irian Jaya, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Franco Banfi / Gorgonian sea fan (Acalycigorgia sp.) Raja Ampat, Irian Jaya, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Franco Banfi / Rich reef with sea fan (Melithaea) and soft coral (Dendronephthya sp) , Raja Ampat, Irian Jaya, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Franco Banfi / Crinoids or feather star on a Sea fan (Subergorgia mollis), Raja Ampat, Irian Jaya, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Franco Banfi / Sea fan (Subergorgia) sp. Raja Ampat, Irian Jaya, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Ingo Arndt / Gorgonian (Acanthogorgia sp) from the Gulf of Oman, Senckenberg Museum, Frankfurt, Germany

Ingo Arndt / Sea Fan (Echinogorgia sp), Senckenberg Museum, Frankfurt, Germany

Ingo Arndt / Gorgonian (Astrogorgia sp) from Chagos, Senckenberg Museum, Frankfurt, Germany

Juergen Freund / Gorgonian fan corals, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Gorgonian fan corals in Raja Ampat coral reef, near to mangroves, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Gorgonian fan corals (Gorgonacea) split level with mangroves, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Gorgonian fan corals (Gorgonacea) in Raja Ampat coral reef, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Gorgonian (Gorganacea) fan corals,. Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Franco Banfi / Crinoid / feather star (Crinoidea) on sea fan (Gorgonacea) and schooling fish, Maldives, Indian Ocean

Norbert Wu / Anthias (Anthias sp) and Damselfish (Chromis sp) school among staghorn coral and sea fans, Bali, Indonesia

Michele Westmorland / Scuba Diver at the entrance of Siaes Tunnel with overhanging Gorgonian sea fan, Palau, Micronesia 2010 model released

Michele Westmorland / Scuba Diver at the entrance of Siaes Tunnel with overhanging Gorgonian sea fan, Palau, Micronesia 2010 model released

Sue Daly / Ship wreck with male Cuckoo Wrasse (Labrus mixtus) and Pink Sea Fan / Warty Coral (Eunicella verrucosa) Wreck Forth, Herm, British Channel Islands, July.

Sue Daly / Ship wreck with Pink Sea Fan / Warty Coral (Eunicella verrucosa). Wreck Forth, Herm, British Channel Islands, July.

Sue Daly / Pink Sea Fan / Warty Coral (Eunicella verrucosa). Grune du Nord, Sark, British Channel Islands, August.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Pink sea fan / Warty coral (Eunicella verrucosa), Lundy Island Marine Conservation Zone, Devon, England, UK, May.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Pink sea fan / Warty coral (Eunicella verrucosa) with attached eggs of a Common squid (Loligo vulgaris), eggcase of a Lesser-spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula), and Spiny starfish (Marthasterias...

David Shale / Soft coral (Acanthogorgia sp) from coral seamount, SW Indian Ridge, Indian Ocean, December 2011

David Shale / Squat lobster (Galatheidae) on black fan coral, from coral seamount, SW Indian Ridge, Indian Ocean, December 2011

Alex Mustard / Red clingfish (Arcos rubiginosus) living on a deepwater sea fan (Iciligorgia nodulifera) on the reef wall, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Roberto Rinaldi / Yellow fan coral / Seafan (Paramuricea clavata) amongst invasive algae (Caulerpa taxifolia), Strait of Messina, Southern Italy

Roberto Rinaldi / Diver viewing Yellow fan coral / Seafan (Paramuricea clavata) amongst mass of invasive algae (Caulerpa taxifolia), Strait of Messina, Southern Italy

Sue Daly / Pink Sea Fan / Warty Coral (Eunicella verrucosa). Channel Islands, UK, June.

Sue Daly / Pink Sea Fan / Warty Coral (Eunicella verrucosa) and female Cuckoo Wrasse. Channel Islands, UK, July.

Sue Daly / Pink Sea Fan / Warty Coral (Eunicella verrucosa). Channel Islands, UK, June.

Sue Daly / Pink Sea Fan (Eunicella verrucosa). Channel Islands, UK, July.

Sue Daly / Pink Sea Fan / Warty Coral (Eunicella verrucosa). Channel Islands, UK, June.

Sue Daly / Pink Sea Fan / Warty Coral (Eunicella verrucosa). Channel Islands, UK, July.

Juergen Freund / Gorgonian fan coral with diver, Kimbe Bay, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Detail of a Gorgonian fan coral, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Fan coral with polyps fully extended, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Detail of a fan coral with polyps fully extended, West Papua, Indonesia.

Birgitte Wilms / Sea Fan (Acabaria sp) with polyps extended for feeding, Solomon Islands

Birgitte Wilms / Soft coral and sea fan, Solomon Islands

Birgitte Wilms / Soft coral and sea fan, Solomon Islands

Juergen Freund / Large Fan coral (Gorgonacea) in the shallows. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Fan corals (Gorgonacea) and Soft corals (Alceonacea) in the reef, surrounded by reef fish. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, January.

Juergen Freund / Fan coral (Gorgonacea) in the reef, surrounded by reef fish. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Large Fan coral (Gorgonacea) and soft corals (Alceonacea) in the reef, surrounded by reef fish. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Large Fan corals (Gorgonacea). Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, January.

Juergen Freund / Large Fan coral (Gorgonacea) and Soft corals (Alceonacea) in the reef, surrounded by reef fish. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, January.