Are corals dangerous?

Corals are not life threatening to humans.  However, they can irritate the skin if touched and you can easily scrape yourself on the tough coral exoskeleton.  If you do touch or get a scrape from coral, wash the area as soon as possible with warm soapy water, rinse it with hydrogen peroxide, then rinse it with water again.  You can then use an antiseptic ointment on the wound and then dress it properly.  Scrapes due to coral are the most common dive related injury from marine life and these injuries can take a very long time to heal because when the scrape occurs, the soft living material that covers the harder coral exoskeleton can come off and become lodged in the wound.  This can cause inflammation and possibly an infection so it is important to keep a close eye on the wound.