Australogyra zelli
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australogyra
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Australogyra zelli faces severe pressure from coral bleaching events driven by rising sea temperatures, which have intensified in frequency and severity across the Great Barrier Reef. Ocean acidification poses an additional threat by reducing the coral's ability to build and maintain its calcium carbonate skeleton. Coastal development and agricultural runoff contribute to declining water quality, while crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks periodically devastate reef communities where this species occurs.
Habitat
Australogyra zelli inhabits shallow reef environments in the Indo-Pacific, typically found on reef slopes and lagoons at depths of 5-30 meters. This hard coral species requires clear, warm waters with stable salinity levels and forms part of complex reef ecosystems alongside other scleractinian corals.
