Hawaiian gold coral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hawaiian gold coral |
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| Kulamanamana haumeaae | |
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The Hawaiian gold coral (Kulamanamana haumeaae) is a very special and rare type of deep-sea coral. It lives on underwater mountains called seamounts near Hawaii. This coral is known for living an incredibly long time. Scientists have found some colonies that are 2,740 years old, and others are thought to be as old as 5,000 years!
Even though people have used this coral for jewellery for a long time, scientists didn't officially name and describe it until 2012. It is the only known species in its group, called Kulamanamana.
Contents
What Makes Gold Coral Special?
Hawaiian gold coral is unique because of its amazing age. Imagine something living for thousands of years! This makes it one of the oldest living things on Earth. It grows very slowly in the deep, cold ocean, which helps it live for so long.
Where Does it Live?
This coral lives in the deep ocean, far below where sunlight can reach. It attaches itself to rocks on seamounts, which are like underwater mountains. These deep-sea environments are very stable, meaning the temperature and conditions don't change much. This steady environment helps the coral survive for centuries.
Gold Coral and Jewelry
People have valued gold coral for making beautiful jewellery. It has a special shiny quality, like a cat's eye or the gemstone tiger's eye. This shimmering effect is called iridescence.
The hard parts, or skeletons, of these corals are very valuable. In the past, people collected a lot of it for jewellery. However, it is no longer collected for sale in Hawaii. This means that raw gold coral material is now very rare. Most of the gold coral jewellery you might see today was made many years ago, before rules were put in place to protect this amazing creature.
Protecting Gold Coral
Because Hawaiian gold coral grows so slowly and lives for so long, it is very important to protect it. Over-collecting it could cause serious harm to its populations. Rules are now in place to help keep this ancient and beautiful coral safe for the future.
