Pillar Coral

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

• Alison Moulding, Southeast Corals Recovery Coordinator

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.