Elkhorn Coral in Cozumel

Elkhorn Coral (Acropora palmata) in Cozumel: how to identify it, where it survives, and why it is Critically Endangered.

Thick flattened branches spreading like the antlers of an elk, golden-brown, always in shallow high-energy water.

Quick ID

Scientific name	Acropora palmata
Group	Hard Corals
Typical size	Colonies to 3 m across
Depth range	1–8 m
When to see it	Year-round
Active	Polyps feed at night
Conservation status	Critically Endangered
Notes	Protected species

Where You Will See It In Cozumel

Shallow reef crests at Playa Corona, Molas Shallow Reef and shallow sections near Paradise Reef.

Reliable sites: Playa Corona, Molas Shallow Reef, Paradise Reef.

Behaviour

Once the dominant shallow-reef builder across the Caribbean, elkhorn was reduced by more than ninety per cent from the 1980s by white-band disease, bleaching and storms. Surviving colonies are structurally important out of all proportion to their number.

Commonly Confused With

Staghorn coral — Staghorn has thin cylindrical branches; elkhorn has thick flattened ones.
Fire coral — Fire coral is mustard-yellow with white tips and stings, and often grows in the same shallow zone.

Diving Etiquette And Safety

Critically Endangered. A single fin kick can break decades of growth. Never stand on, hold or brush against shallow coral — this is the reason surge-zone snorkelling in Cozumel has rules.

Part of the Cozumel marine life guide · see Cozumel dive sites · plan your Cozumel dive trip

Photo: Nick Hobgood, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.