Document
5 Caribbean Coral Species Recovery Outline
This document serves as an interim guidance document to direct recovery efforts for pillar coral,…
Lobed Star Coral
Lobed Star Coral
Orbicella annularis
Protected Status
ESA Threatened
Throughout Its Range
Quick Facts
Weight
Not relevant for corals
Lifespan
Up to hundreds of years
Threats
Climate change, including ocean warming and ocean acidification,
Diseases,
Land-based sources of pollution,
Habitat degradation
Region
Southeast
About The Species
The lobed star coral is a species of coral that lives in the western Atlantic Ocean. It is the most thoroughly studied and most abundant species of reef-building coral in the Caribbean to date. It grows into varying colony shapes (heads, columns, plates) in response to differing light conditions. Lobed star coral is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
NOAA Fisheries is committed to conserving and protecting lobed star coral. Our scientists and partners use a variety of innovative techniques to study, learn more about, and protect this species.
Protected Status
ESA Threatened
- Throughout Its Range
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Cnidaria | Class | Anthozoa | Order | Scleractinia | Family | Merulinidae | Genus | Orbicella | Species | annularis |
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