Siderastrea siderea
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siderastrea_siderea
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Siderastrea siderea faces severe population declines primarily due to coral bleaching events triggered by rising sea temperatures, with mass mortality recorded during marine heatwaves in the Caribbean. Ocean acidification compounds these stresses by reducing the coral's ability to build and maintain its calcium carbonate skeleton. Coastal development and sedimentation from land-based activities further degrade water quality in shallow reef environments where this species typically thrives.
Habitat
Siderastrea siderea inhabits shallow coral reef environments and rocky substrates in tropical and subtropical waters of the western Atlantic, typically found at depths ranging from 1 to 40 meters. This massive coral species forms large, dome-shaped colonies on reef flats, fore-reefs, and back-reef areas where it can tolerate varying levels of wave action and sedimentation.
