Pavona diffluens
A threatened Indo-Pacific coral recorded by NOAA
“I live in the Indian Ocean. My body does not grow like branches or plates. I grow in low, lumpy shapes, with many deep little centers across my surface. Small sea animals move around me, and I become part of the rough, living ground of the reef. I can live in many kinds of reef places, but I am not usually common. I may not look tall or bright, but I help hold the reef together in my quiet way. If the ocean changes too fast, places like me may fade before many people notice. And the reef will be left with one more quiet empty space where life used to be.”