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Elkhorn Coral

One of the most important corals in the Caribbean, the elkhorn coral — along with staghorn and star corals — has helped build Caribbean coral reefs over the last 5,000 years. 

 

Named after the way it branches, giving a resemblance of elk antlers, the elkhorn coral can be found in shallow, tropical reef ecosystems throughout the Bahamas, Florida Keys, and Caribbean. This coral can form dense groups called “thickets” and colonies can grow to be at least 1.8 meters (6 feet) tall and 3.6 meters (12 feet) in diameter. Colonies are golden-tan or pale brown with white tips, getting their appearance from algae living within their tissue. As a major part of the reef ecosystems where it lives, elkhorn corals provide food and habitat for a variety of species. 

Elkhorn coral habitat is primarily high-energy zones, favoring outer reef slopes exposed to wave action. However, too much wave action — from things like major storms — can cause this branching coral to break. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though, as fragmentation from breakage is one method of reproduction for this species! When coral branches break off, they can attach themselves to substrate and begin a colony of their own.

 

 

Climate change is the greatest threat to these corals. The warming of ocean temperatures leads to mass coral bleaching events and infectious disease outbreaks — such as white band disease, which led to a 97% population decline in the 1980’s.  

But climate change isn’t the only threat; they also are vulnerable to ocean acidification, fishing pressure, and the impacts of land-based pollution — including coastal development, deforestation, agricultural runoff, and oil and chemical spills.  

 

 

There are various conservation measures in place to protect elkhorn coral. They can be found in numerous marine protected areas (MPAs) throughout the Florida Keys, Belize, and the Bahamas. In some areas, there are also efforts to save damaged corals by relocating them to artificial reefs. 

In United States waters, it is illegal to harvest corals commercially, and they are also listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) which provides certain protections. But these efforts alone aren’t enough. Oceana also campaigns to tackle climate change by stopping the expansion of offshore drilling — a major contributor to the crisis.  

 

 

 

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