Seriatopora aculeata
A threatened Indo-Pacific coral recorded by NOAA
“I live from the Maldives in the Indian Ocean to the central Pacific Ocean. I grow in shallow reefs, where sunlight and moving water reach me. My branches are short, thick, and pointed, gathered together in tight clumps. During the day, my tiny arm-like parts often reach out, as if I am feeling the water around me. Small sea animals move near the spaces I help make. I am not usually easy to find, but I am part of the busy life of the reef. If the shallow sea changes too fast, my small clumps may become harder to see. And a place that once reached out to the water may slowly become still.”