Pillar Coral

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

See Regulatory Actions

Picture of a fish swimming through pillar coral.

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

Scientific Classification

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

In the Spotlight

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.

Key Actions and Documents

Actions & Documents Incidental Take

Science Overview

Documents

Document

5 Caribbean Coral Species Recovery Outline

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

Southeast