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Pillar Coral

Pillar Coral

Dendrogyra cylindrus

Illustration of a tall, tan pillar coral showing upward growth of branches. NOAA Fisheries watermark in bottom right.

Protected Status

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
See Regulatory Actions
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 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 09/15/2022

Featured News

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
View More News

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 09/15/2022

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 09/15/2022

In the Spotlight

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 09/15/2022

Management Overview

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

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

 

Key Actions and Documents

Actions & Documents

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

5-Year Review of Staghorn Coral, Elkhorn Coral, Pillar Coral, Rough Cactus Coral, Lobed Star Coral, Mountainous Star Coral, and Boulder Star Coral.
Notice
,
Southeast
Published
08/05/2022

Proposed Rule to Designate Critical Habitat for the Threatened Caribbean Corals

Proposed Rule to Designate Critical Habitat for the Threatened Caribbean Corals
Proposed Rule
,
Southeast
Published
11/27/2020

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 09/15/2022

Science Overview

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 09/15/2022

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

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 09/15/2022