Coral of the Great Barrier Reef

  

The gardens of the oceans...

The Great Barrier reef is the world's largest coral reef system, boasting over 600 different species of corals in its waters. Although coral reefs may seem more sculpted from stone rather than life, corals are much like the flora of the earth—living organisms. 

One of the famed bragging points of this reef system is that it can be seen from outer space, an impressive feat considering that our manmade sculptures of metal and glass can't even be seen without extensive light *cough POLLUTION* illuminating the atmosphere. Additionally, this ecosystem is the largest to be created out of living organisms. Everything here is alive, and as fascinating as the fauna of the Great Barrier are, I think the flora deserve a spotlight too. 

Here are some of the most impactful, influential, and interesting corals I've learned in my Great Barrier Reef exploration. 

The Staghorn Coral (Acropora cervicornis) 

 Staghorn coral can be found all over the world, notably, the Carribean Sea. This species of coral is named after its antler -like arms; these unique structures provide habitats for many different kinds of fish contribute to maintaining healthy wildlife diversity in a multitude of ecosystems. They also have the ability to form limestone casings that help build onto coral reefs, maintaining the coral reef structure itself. However, like the majority of other corals, the Staghorn Coral is facing a declining population due to climate change, pollution, fishing practices, and other threats, which could severely limit the amount of limestone that can be produced in the world's coral reefs. 

The Flowerpot Coral (Tamoya ohboya)

These popular corals are coveted for their beautiful and flowing structures that come in a variety of colors. Formed by individual polyps that join together at the base, this species of coral has around 18-24 tentacles that wave around freely under the water. Hence, the Flowerpot Coral is considered to be a soft coral rather than the hard corals with rigid tentacles. 

The Organ Pipe Coral (Tubipora musica)

These corals are typically red and live in large colonies that occupy shallow waters of up to 12 meters in depth. Organ Pipe Coral are soft coral that have eight feathery soft tentacles attached onto the pipe-like tubes covered by a unique hard exoskeleton. These solid polyps are home to a type of phytoplankton, zooxanthellae, that in turn provide energy to the coral. This mutual relationship is just one example of the symbiotic relationships of corals. 

The Hump Coral (Porites polymorphus)

Commonly found in inner reefs rather than outer reefs, the Hump Coral actually prefers isolation from other species of corals. These are known to be some of the oldest corals on Earth, some possibly up to 1000 years old. During the day, the Hump Coral utilizes algae to photosynthesize, and at night, it filter feeds on plankton. 

The Smooth Cauliflower Coral (Stylophora pistillata)

Also known as Hood Coral, the Smooth Cauliflower Coral is a type of stony coral native to the Indo-Pacific region. This species of coral is considered to be an R-strategist, which means it is able to adapt quickly to unstable environments and reproduce in large quantities. There are typically six primary septa, plates forming the corallite wall, and six secondary septa. These can come in a multitude of different colors.  

The Honeycomb Coral (Diploastrea heliopora)

As its name suggests, the Honeycomb coral is a hard coral that grows in a dome covered in calcium carbonate cups, which is where the polyps are located. This is also known as brain coral and may be confused with the extinct genus Favosites. Although particularly common in the Red Sea, this species of coral can be found all over the Indo-Pacific region. 

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