Coral Mortality and African Dust Photo Gallery

Grecian Rocks Star Coral: 1961-2001

Grecian Rocks star coral 11 photos brain coral 3 photos star coral 3 photos star coral 5 photos

Carysfort Reef star coral 5 photos brain coral 6 photos

1961 1965 1971 1976 1978 1979 1980 1988 1992 1998 2001

This star coral was tagged with stainless pins (sediment trap in concrete block in background) in 1961 following Hurricane Donna, which decimated Grecian Rocks. In 1965, studies of the actual staghorn coral in this photo showed it grew 4 inches per year.

By 1971, staghorn and a colony of elkhorn corals were overgrowing the star coral. The staghorn began to die in 1978 and 1979 and was dead by 1980, except for the colony to the right of the head.

Since 1980, there has been no staghorn present, the original star coral has changed growth shape, and by 1998 it was being overgrown by sea fans and sea whips. (Note the original head is visible in the center of all photographs).