Millepora nitida
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Millepora nitida faces severe population decline primarily due to coral bleaching events triggered by rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification. The species is particularly vulnerable to mass bleaching episodes that have devastated Caribbean coral reefs, with recovery hampered by its slow growth rate and limited dispersal ability. Coastal development and pollution further stress remaining populations, while hurricane damage can eliminate entire colonies from exposed reef areas.
Habitat
Millepora nitida inhabits shallow tropical coral reef environments in the Caribbean, typically found in areas with strong water circulation and high light penetration. This fire coral species forms encrusting and branching colonies on reef slopes and fore-reef zones at depths ranging from 1 to 30 meters.
