What is Elkhorn Coral?
Elkhorn Coral, or Acropora Palmate, is a species of coral, which was considered originally from the Caribbean Sea. The coral is thus named because it looks like antlers found on many types of elk. Elkhorn Coral is considered a key to the structural integrity and ecology of coral reefs surrounding many solid masses in the Caribbean. Their number decreased rapidly in 70 years as a result of environmental and artificial factors.
Many reef fish found in the Caribbean Sea and the Mexican Gulf uses coral Elkhorn as a station. Coral grows at fast speed and many of them reach a diameter of over 12 feet (3.5 meters). They look yellow on brown due to zooxanthellae algae that live on them. These eyelashes have a symbiotic relationship with the coral Elkhorn. Coral is not capable of photosynthesis and depends on the fact that algae collects the nutrients it needs to survive, and the eyelashes have a place to live.
Mostly asexual species, Elkhorn Coral is reproduced primarily by fragmentation. Fragmentation occurs whenPieces of larger colonies fall. These former branches join the new base and start again.
Sexual reproduction can take place once a year, usually from August to September. The larvae of the planela, the sexual descendant of the coral, are released into the passing current and picked up with plankton. After a few days, several planeles that survive metamorphosis and create a new colony as soon as they find a suitable base.
This species remains on a critically endangered list due to a rapid decrease in the number of from 70. In 2011, the amount of Elkhorn coral has been found by approximately 90%in the Caribbean Sea. It is known that environmental factors such as hurricanes and storms allow new colonies to replace instead of those who are eradicated with physical damage.
Other factors represent a more serious threat to coral survival. Continuous temperature rising led the coral of Elkhorn to retreat from its normal domain,While coral bleaching and diseases have led to the destruction of the entire range of corals along the coast. As a result, its capacity for asexual reproduction is ineffective and represents other problems for their sexual reproduction.