What Makes Boulder Corals Important

Unknown to many, corals are a colony of animals called polyps. They may look like one, but actually, corals are not plants. They serve as the “forest of the sea” making the entire seascape so beautiful and colorful. The little animals in corals live in a symbiotic relationship with algae, building calcium stone houses for themselves. The houses are piled on top of each other, forming larger structures that serve as “apartment buildings” or termite hills for marine life. Corals come in different shapes that may look like boulders or branches. They can also form flexible structures that move with the currents. At night, corals usually come out to feed although there are some specific exceptions.

Unlike branching corals, boulder corals grow out onto the substrate on a single plane, and then they grow upwards earning that massive “boulder-like” mounds. They are among the many species of corals whose growth and survival have been drastically impacted by climate change and other environmental conditions. Stony coral tissue loss disease being one of the major stressors that these types of corals face. “The cause of the disease is unknown, but it has been making its way through the Florida Reef Tract since 2014. It destroys living coral tissue, leaving multiple blotchy lesions in its wake. Once a colony is affected, it will die within weeks or months.”

With the loss of boulder, coral species comes a range of repercussions, because of their many ecological and economic importance. They are the main coastal protection from storm surges. Boulder corals, among many other stony coral species, also provide refuge, nursery, and feeding areas for marine biodiversity. They support the fishing and scuba diving industries. This is why it is important to grow, propagate and outplant stony boulder coral species to immediate combat this problem.

 

If you’re looking where to find diving spots in Davao that is abundant in stony boulder coral species, then look no further. Davao Oriental’s new beach resort, Camp Bernardino de Lavigan, offers scuba diving and freediving activities where you can have an up-close encounter with these beautiful creatures. Considered one of the top Governor Generoso Beach resorts, Camp Bernardino de Lavigan’s water activities also include kid-friendly ones like snorkboarding, snorkeling, and kayaking. Check out more info on their website campbernardino.com.