Montipora corbettensis
Overview
Montipora corbettensis is a colonial stony coral in the family Acroporidae, forming encrusting to plate-like or laminar growth structures typical of the genus. Like other Montipora species, it is a colonial cnidarian that relies on symbiotic zooxanthellae for the majority of its energy needs, supplementing this through the capture of plankton with its polyps. As a reef-building species, it contributes calcium carbonate skeletal structure that provides habitat complexity for numerous other reef organisms.
The species occurs across a broad swath of the Indo-Pacific, with recorded populations in Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vanuatu, the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Madagascar, Micronesia, Mauritius, Malaysia, Vietnam, Palau, Fiji, New Caledonia, and American Samoa. It inhabits shallow marine neritic waters, typically on coral reef substrates within photic zones suitable for its symbiotic algae.
Population decline is driven by a combination of pressures: fishing and harvesting activities that damage reef structure, recreational use of reef areas, coral disease and problematic native species interactions, and pollution from domestic wastewater and agricultural runoff. Habitat shifting linked to broader environmental change compounds these localized stressors, and invasive species further disrupt reef community dynamics.
Conservation efforts affecting this species are largely embedded within broader coral reef protection frameworks, including marine protected areas across parts of its range, water quality management programs targeting agricultural and urban discharge, and international monitoring under IUCN Red List assessments that track population and habitat trends across Acroporidae.
The species is currently assessed as Endangered with a decreasing population trend. Given the multiplicity of ongoing, unresolved threats across its wide but fragmented range, its conservation trajectory remains concerning without substantial reduction in cumulative reef stressors.
This coral faces pressure from fishing activities, damage from tourists and recreational users, and competition or disease from other species sharing its habitat. Pollution is also a major concern, including runoff from farming operations, sewage and wastewater from towns and cities, and changes to its habitat caused by nearby land being used for crops. All of these threats are currently ongoing, suggesting the pressures on this coral remain persistent rather than improving.
Habitat
Conservation measures underway
Other threatened species in ACROPORIDAE
Threatened in American Samoa
Frequently asked questions
Why is Montipora corbettensis classified as Endangered?
Where does Montipora corbettensis live?
What are the main threats to Montipora corbettensis?
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