Which critically endangered coral species is known as 'staghorn coral'?

The critically endangered coral known as staghorn coral is *Acropora cervicornis*. It is a branching, reef-building hard coral whose thick upright branches resemble the antlers of a stag. The species is native to shallow tropical waters of the western Atlantic, including the Caribbean, the Florida Keys and parts of the Gulf of Mexico.

Staghorn coral can grow rapidly, with new skeleton extending by roughly 5 centimetres per year under favourable conditions. Its branching colonies create shelter and nursery habitat for juvenile reef fish, while dense stands help buffer coastlines from waves and storms. That makes the species important far beyond its own survival.

Beginning in the late twentieth century, white-band disease, hurricanes, warming seas, pollution and other human pressures caused severe losses. In some areas, staghorn coverage declined by more than 95% from historic levels. The coral was listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN in 2008 and as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2006. The closest common mix-up is elkhorn coral, *Acropora palmata*, a related species with broad antler-like branches rather than staghorn's narrow, cylindrical ones.