Similar to the elkhorn coral, staghorn coral is another important species in the Caribbean. The staghorn coral has more of a tubular shape than the elkhorn coral, making it appear more like the horns of an adult male deer. These corals have long, branch-like arms that can grow into massive structures, though the majority of colorful sea whips are no more than about 24 inches (60 cm) tall. Coral is an essential part of ocean ecosystems, supporting a large percentage of marine life and protecting coastal areas. Tabulate corals occur in limestones and calcareous shales of the Ordovician period, with a gap in the fossil record due to extinction events at the end of the Ordovician. Corals reappeared some millions of years later during the Silurian period, and tabulate corals often form low cushions or branching masses of calcite alongside rugose corals. Tabulate coral numbers began to decline during the middle of the Silurian period. [88]

Corals have multiple reproductive strategies – they can be male or female or both, and can reproduce either asexually or sexually. Asexual reproduction is important for increasing the size of the colony, and sexual reproduction increases genetic diversity and starts new colonies that can be far from the parents. de O Santos et al., "Genomic and Proteomic Analyses of the Coral Pathogen Vibrio Coralliilyticus Reveal a Diverse Virulence Repertoire".Administration, US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric. "existing and potential value of coral ecosystems with respect to income and other economic values". coralreef.noaa.gov. Archived from the original on 2018-02-05 . Retrieved 2018-02-04. {{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link) Flower-like clusters of pink polyps make up this coral colony. (Photo Collection of Dr. James P. McVey, NOAA Sea Grant Program)

If you’re interested in corals, at some point, you’ve probably heard people talking about coral bleaching. But, what is coral bleaching, you might ask?

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Coral blue works well with several different colors. For a more feminine space, pair coral blue with peach, soft pink, muted green and pale yellow. Incorporate accents in deep brown to soften out the colors and create a sense of cohesion. You can use hues in the same family but more saturated versions of each to create a space that brings to mind the sea, the sunset or the sunset at sea. To eliminate destruction of corals in their indigenous regions, projects have been started to grow corals in non-tropical countries. [126] [127] Relation to humans [ edit ] Thankfully, while the grooved brain coral is susceptible to bleaching and disease, it seems to be fairly resilient. Furthermore, it is still somewhat common throughout its range and the IUCN lists the grooved brain coral as a species of least concern. 12. Boulder Star Coral ( Monstastrea annularis/ Orbicella annularis)

Approximately 10% of the world's coral reefs are dead. [98] [99] [100] About 60% of the world's reefs are at risk due to human-related activities. [101] The threat to reef health is particularly strong in Southeast Asia, where 80% of reefs are endangered. [102] Over 50% of the world's coral reefs may be destroyed by 2030; as a result, most nations protect them through environmental laws. [103] It turns out that, in addition to looking really cool, coral is also one of the most fascinating creatures on the planet. In fact, there are thousands of species of coral in the world, each of which plays its own role in supporting the greater ocean ecosystem. Chemicals in sunscreen used to combat sunburns are now known to be harmful to corals. Even the small amount that washes off of swimmers' skin can cause a reef damage, especially in areas that are popular for swimming or diving. Furthermore, the common mushroom coral will only attach itself to a reef for the early part of its life. When it gets larger, it will break free from the reef and live on its own on the seafloor. 20. Precious Coral ( Corallium)These corals are naturally found in a wide range of different locations in the Indo-Pacific oceans, though they tend to prefer sandy and muddy seafloors. In particular, they are mostly found from New Caledonia to the Red Sea and they prefer water that’s less than 130 ft (40 m) deep.