Porites napopora coral

Porites napopora is likely found in the Coral Triangle area (the Philippines to Timor Leste and east to the Solomon Islands), as well as adjacent areas throughout the South China Sea, southern Japan, and parts of Micronesia. 

Porites napopora is listed as threatened throughout its range under the Endangered Species Act.

Learn more about Porites napopora (PDF, 3 pages) 

Colonies of Porites napopora have irregular clumps of tapered, irregularly fused branches and are brown in color with white corallite centers.

Based on confirmed observations and strong predictions of occurrence in areas that have not yet been surveyed sufficiently, Porites napopora is likely distributed mostly within the Coral Triangle area (the Philippines to Timor Leste and east to the Solomon Islands), as well as adjacent areas throughout the South China Sea, southern Japan, and parts of Micronesia.

Porites napopora occurs in at least upper reef slopes, mid-slopes, lower reef crests, reef flats, and lagoons in depths of 3 to 15 meters.

The reproductive characteristics of Porites napopora have not been determined. Other species of Porites have been described as gonochoristic (individual colonies have either male or female gametes, not both) broadcast spawners (expelling gametes for external fertilization), gonochoric (individual colonies have either male or female gametes, not both) brooders (expelling sperm but egg fertilization is internal), or hermaphroditic (having both male and female gametes) brooders.

Ocean Warming

A significant proportion of its current known geographic range is within the Coral Triangle area. This area is projected to have the most rapid and severe impacts from climate change and localized human impacts for coral reefs over the 21st century. Multiple ocean warming events have already occurred within the western equatorial Pacific (which includes the Coral Triangle area) that suggest future ocean warming events may be more severe than average in this part of the world.