Cold Water Coral
lophelia pertusa
and necklace of red ribbon
found on the shores of Egilsay
from the sea
Cold water coral reefs are found in deep fast moving water in the seas off North and West Scotland. They are rare and delicate, easily destroyed by the activities of humans. Some are 4,000 years old, others have begun to form on the legs of oil platforms.
'Reefs may form on the hard glacial deposits of old iceberg plough marks ' - Scottish Natural Heritage
