The Elkhorn Coral off Florida's coast was listed as Threatened within the past decade. With all the damage to the area, including oil spills and dispersants it isn't doing too well.
The Elkhorn are about six and a half feet across.
The strange thing is that one would think it would be easy to rebuild these corals because once protected they usually grow so fast.
Colonies are fast growing: (click here) branches increase in length by 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) per year, with colonies reaching their maximum size in approximately 10-12 years. Over the last 10,000 years, elkhorn coral has been one of the three most important Caribbean corals contributing to reef growth and development and providing essential fish habitat.
There is currently a proposal to move the Elkhorn to the Endangered List because it cannot seem to rebound.
This is the range of the Elkhorn Coral. It isn't as though there are many options for the species. The USA needs to protect their coral reefs. It is where fish do well.
