Staghorn Acropora
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Hexacorallia
Order: Scleractinia
Family: Acroporidae
Genus: Acropora
Species: A. cervicornis
Binomial name
Acropora cervicornis
(Lamarck, 1816)[3]
Synonyms
List
The staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) is a branching, stony coral, within the Order Scleractinia. It is
characterized by thick, upright branches which can grow in excess of 2 meters (6.5 ft) in height and
resemble the antlers of a stag, hence the name, Staghorn.[4] It grows within various areas of a reef but is
most commonly found within shallow fore and back reefs, as well as patch reefs, where water depths
rarely exceed 20 meters (65 ft).[5] Staghorn corals can exhibit very fast growth, adding up to 5 cm (~2 in)
in new skeleton for every 1 cm of existing skeleton each year, making them one of the fastest growing
fringe coral species in the Western Atlantic.[6] Due to this fast growth, Acropora cervicornis, serve as one
of the most important reef building corals, functioning as marine nurseries for juvenile fish, buffer zones
for erosion and storms, and center points of biodiversity in the Western Atlantic.[7]
Up until the late 1970s, much of the fore reef zones within the Atlantic around the coasts of Southern
Florida and the Caribbean Islands were covered with vast, dense colonies of Staghorn coral consisting
largely of single-species stands; however, a combination of white-band disease and various
anthropogenic factors have reduced this coral coverage by over 95% in some areas.[8]
As of 2006, staghorn coral is listed as Critically Endangered under the International Union for
Conservation of Nature and are federally designated as a threatened species under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973.[9]
Species overview
Geographic location
Staghorn coral is found throughout the Western Atlantic Ocean, from the Florida Keys and the Bahamas,
to the coasts of the various Caribbean islands. It occurs in the western Gulf of Mexico, but is absent from
U.S. waters in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as Bermuda and the west coast of South America; the northern
limit of this species is Palm Beach County, Florida, where only small populations have been
documented[10]
Habitat
Staghorn coral is most commonly found within 20 meters (65 ft) of the water's surface, in clear, non-
turbid environments consistent with fore, back and patch reefs in the Western Atlantic Ocean.[5] In this
environment, water temperatures typically range anywhere from 66 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (19 - 27
degrees Celsius) with salinity ranging from 33 to 37 ppt (parts per thousand).[11]
Structure
The skeleton of the Staghorn coral is made up of a specific type of calcium carbonate known as
aragonite.[12] This substance is secreted slowly by specialized calicoblastic cells, positioned in the layer
directly above the coral skeleton.[12] Over time, these calcium carbonate secretions build on one another,
eventually creating large aragonite coral structures and the foundations of the world's coral reefs.[12]
