Determination of carotenoid as the purple pigment in Gorgonia ventalina sclerites using Raman microscopy

The production of purple pigment in gorgonian sclerites in response to biotic insults has been used to determine the disease state of these organisms. The chemical nature of the pigment present in the sclerites has until now been unknown. Using Raman microscopy, it was determined that this pigment is a carotenoid with a polyene chain containing between 14 and 15 carbon double bonds.