Table Coral Discovered For First Time in O'ahu Waters

Scientist from NOAA have discovered the first colony of table coral off the south shore of O'ahu in Hawai'I

Table coral (Acropora cytherea), which gets its name due to its flat topped shape, is one of the primary reef building corals found throughout tropical Pacific. This is the first time that table coral has been discovered in the waters of O'ahu.

The scientists estimate the newly discovered coral to be around 14 years old. It was found at a depth of 60 feet during a training dive.

Table coral stands on a short stout stem that is attached to the seabed. The horizontal plates have several branches that face upward from the surface so the table looks like a bed of nails. Table coral colonies are mostly green or dull brown and are brightened by the presence of reef fish that take shelter under the plates(Ocean.Org).

"This discovery represents a significant contribution to the diversity of O'ahu reefs," said Daniel Wagner, Ph.D., NOAA research specialist with Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. "Hawai'i may be in the process of being colonized by table coral from Johnston Atoll or other neighboring tropical archipelagos."

Table coral can be seen in great numbers at Johnson Atoll, which is 800 miles southeast of Honolulu. Spotting a table coral in Hawai'i is rare and unusual as its spread is limited to French Frigate shoals and other neighboring atolls in Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

It was in November 2012 that the coral colony was discovered by scientists during a survey dive off the south shore of O'ahu. The discovery has been published in the Bulletin of Marine Science.