Skelly Hole, St. Abbs Head

In the northern North Sea, soft corals or dead man's fingers (Alcyonium digitatum) often dominate the steep rock surfaces below depths of 15m. Soft corals are plankton feeders and prosper in areas of strong tidal flow, which provides an almost constant supply of nutrients. However, during darker, winter months when much of the plankton has gone, the soft coral colonies withdraw their polyps and shrink down into shapeless, drab lumps (often covered in algae) that give no hint of what will emerge in early Spring when the plankton starts to return.