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Pillar Coral

Pillar Coral

Dendrogyra cylindrus

Illustration of a tall, tan pillar coral showing upward growth of branches.

Protected Status

ESA Proposed - Endangered
Throughout Its Range
ESA Threatened
Throughout Its Range
CITES Appendix II
Throughout its Range
SPAW Annex III
Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region

Quick Facts

Lifespan
Up to hundreds of years
Threats
Climate change (including ocean warming and ocean acidification), Diseases, Habitat degradation, Land-based sources of pollution
Region
Southeast
Pillar coral with upward growing branches that look like cigars. Fish swimming in the foreground. Pillar coral with fish. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

Pillar coral with fish. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

About the Species

Pillar coral is a hard coral found in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It often resembles fingers or a cluster of cigars, growing up from the sea floor. Pillar coral is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

NOAA Fisheries is committed to conserving and protecting pillar coral. Our scientists and partners use a variety of innovative techniques to study, learn more about, and protect this species.

Learn more about pillar coral

Protected Status

ESA Proposed - Endangered

  • Throughout Its Range

ESA Threatened

  • Throughout Its Range

CITES Appendix II

  • Throughout its Range

SPAW Annex III

  • Throughout the Wider Caribbean Region
pillar coral's range map World map providing approximate representation of the Pillar coral's range

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Anthozoa
Order Scleractinia
Family Merulinidae
Genus Dendrogyra
Species cylindrus

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 09/07/2023

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The Endangered Species Act: 50 Years of Conserving Species

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New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
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Two sturgeon swim above a gravelly bottom Atlantic sturgeon swimming. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Feature Story

Recommended 2023 Species Recovery Grants Projects

Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
Southeast
West Coast
National
Fish swim above a coral reef in the Caribbean. Fish swim above a coral reef in the Caribbean. Credit: Tom Moore
Feature Story

How are Fisheries and Coral Reefs Connected?

National
Fishermen out for a trip in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Fishermen out for a trip in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: Nick Zachar/NOAA
Feature Story

Fishing Smart around Essential Fish Habitats in the Southeast

Southeast
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In the Spotlight

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 09/07/2023

Management Overview

Pillar coral is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. 

On August 29, 2023, NOAA Fisheries issued a proposed rule to change the status of pillar coral from Threatened to Endangered under the ESA. The most recent 5-year review recommended this status change based on population declines and susceptibility to stony coral tissue disease which has emerged since pillar coral was first listed as threatened under the ESA. NOAA Fisheries invites public comment on the proposed rule. 

The comment period will close on October 30, 2023.

To submit comments in writing, go to www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA-NMFS-2023-0002 in the Search box. Click on the “Comment” icon, complete the fields, and enter or attach your comments. Alternatively, you may email written comments to alison.moulding@noaa.gov.

Public Hearing Information

NOAA Fisheries will hold a virtual public hearing on the proposed rule to change the status of pillar coral under the ESA on September 26, 2023, from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time. Members of the public are invited to attend and may submit oral comments during the hearing. We will give a short presentation followed by a brief opportunity to ask clarifying questions before accepting public comment testimony for the record. We will limit each speaker to 3 minutes to ensure that participants have an opportunity to speak during the hearing. To attend the virtual public hearing, please see the meeting details below for information on how to join. To sign up to give an oral public comment during the virtual public hearing, please fill out this form.

Meeting Details

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT

WebEx Meeting Link: https://noaanmfs-meets.webex.com/noaanmfs-meets/j.php?MTID=mb42b41b04a144d66e1dc38538bb9a435
Webinar password: noaa (6622 from phones and video systems)


Join by Phone: +1-415-527-5035 US Toll
Access code: 276 293 53814

To make an oral comment during the virtual public hearing, please sign up here: https://forms.gle/HxXHoM8D7vTKUQ1P6

 

Resources

Questions and Answers on the Proposed Rule (English / Spanish)

Recovery Planning and Implementation

The Recovery Outline is meant to serve as an interim guidance document to direct recovery efforts, including recovery planning, for pillar coral, rough cactus coral, lobed star coral, mountainous star coral, and boulder star coral.

Species Recovery Contacts

Critical Habitat Designation

Once a species is listed under the ESA, NOAA Fisheries evaluates and identifies whether any areas meet the definition of critical habitat. Those areas may be designated as critical habitat through a rule making process. The designation of an area as critical habitat does not create a closed area, marine protected area, refuge, wilderness reserve, preservation, or other conservation area; nor does the designation affect land ownership. Federal agencies that undertake, fund, or permit activities that may affect these designated critical habitat areas are required to consult with NOAA Fisheries to ensure that their actions do not adversely modify or destroy designated critical habitat.

We designated critical habitat for five threatened Caribbean coral species, including the pillar coral. Twenty-eight mostly overlapping specific occupied areas containing physical features essential to the conservation of these coral species were designated as critical habitat. These areas contain approximately 16,830 square kilometers (6,500 square miles) of marine habitat. 

Regulatory History

Pillar coral was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2014. 

 

Key Actions and Documents

Actions & Documents

Proposed Reclassification of Pillar Coral from Threatened to Endangered

We, NOAA Fisheries, are issuing a proposed rule to change the status of pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus) on the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Species from threatened to endangered as recommended in the recent 5-year review of the species…
Proposed Rule
,
Southeast
Published

Final Rule to Designate Critical Habitat for the Threatened Caribbean Corals

We, NOAA Fisheries, designate critical habitat for five threatened Caribbean coral species, Orbicella annularis, O. faveolata, O. franksi, Dendrogyra cylindrus, and Mycetophyllia ferox, pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Twenty…
Final Rule
,
Southeast
Effective

5-Year Review of Staghorn Coral, Elkhorn Coral, Pillar Coral, Rough Cactus Coral, Lobed Star Coral, Mountainous Star Coral, and Boulder Star Coral

NOAA Fisheries has published a 5-year review of staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis), elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata), pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus), rough cactus coral (Mycetophyllia ferox), lobed star coral (Orbicella annularis), mountainous…
Notice
,
Southeast
Published

Listing of 20 Reef-Building Coral Species Under the ESA

We, NOAA Fisheries, are publishing this final rule to implement our final determination to list the following 20 species as threatened: five in the Caribbean (Dendrogyra cylindrus, Orbicella annularis, Orbicella faveolata, Orbicella franksi, and…
Final Rule
,
Pacific Islands
Southeast
Effective

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 09/07/2023

Science Overview

Research & Data

Pillar Coral Critical Habitat Maps and GIS Data

Maps and GIS data representing critical habitat for the pillar coral.
August 08, 2023 - Map ,
Southeast
View More

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 09/07/2023

Documents

Document

Caribbean Corals 5-Year Review

NOAA Fisheries has published a 5-year review of staghorn coral, elkhorn coral, pillar coral, rough…

Southeast
Document

5 Caribbean Coral Species Recovery Outline

This document serves as an interim guidance document to direct recovery efforts for pillar coral,…

Southeast
More Documents

Data & Maps

More Data and Maps

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 09/07/2023