Acropora glauca

Acropora glauca is a stony coral in the family Acroporidae, building branching colonies that contribute to the physical structure of reef habitats. Like other Acropora species, it is a colonial organism composed of numerous small polyps that secrete calcium carbonate skeletons, and it hosts symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) that supply energy through photosynthesis. As a fast-growing framework builder, it plays an important role in creating three-dimensional reef structure that shelters fish and invertebrate communities.

The species occurs across a broad swath of the Indo-Pacific, with records from Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, American Samoa, Vietnam, China, Japan, Brunei, Bangladesh, Madagascar, and Oman. It inhabits shallow marine neritic waters and rocky substrates typical of reef environments.

The species is classified as Endangered, with a decreasing population trend. Threats include harvesting for the aquarium and curio trade, damage from recreational activities such as diving and anchoring, disease outbreaks, and predation pressure from native species such as crown-of-thorns starfish. Water quality is degraded by domestic wastewater, agricultural runoff, and non-timber crop cultivation in coastal watersheds.

Broader habitat alteration, storm damage, and pollution of unspecified origin compound these pressures, while fire and fire suppression in adjacent terrestrial systems can affect sediment and runoff patterns.

Conservation efforts affecting this species are largely embedded in broader coral reef management, including marine protected areas, fishing and harvest restrictions, water quality regulation, and international trade controls under CITES. Targeted population monitoring for this specific species remains limited. Given the combination of localized human pressures and larger-scale environmental stressors, the species' outlook remains one of continued decline unless threats are substantially mitigated.