Healthy Elkhorn Corals (IMAGE)

Florida Atlantic University

Healthy Elkhorn Corals

Caption

A snorkeler swims among healthy Elkhorn corals off Key Largo in the Florida Keys in the early 1980s. Named for its antler-like shape for its colonies, the Elkhorn coral is one of the most important corals in the Caribbean. Current populations are struggling to recover from coral disease and bleaching. Elkhorn coral once dominated coral reefs in the Florida Keys. Today, less than 5 percent of these corals remain in the Florida Keys.

Credit

Larry Lipsky

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Credit: Larry Lipsky

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