Black coral is commercially harvested primarily for jewelry, although historical uses included medicines and religious artifacts. More recently, a small trade in live specimens for aquarium organisms has been reported. Tangle net dredges have also been employed for non-selective harvest. Black corals may be globally threatened as a result of overharvesting for the jewelry trade in many parts of the world. However, data on status and trends is limited.
Habitat destruction is another key problem affecting black coral populations.
These species may be vulnerable to overexploitation due to certain life history characteristics such as a slow rate of growth, delayed reproduction and limited dispersal capabilities.