Acropora jacquelineae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acropora jacquelineae |
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Acropora jacquelineae is a special kind of coral. It belongs to a group called acroporid corals. You can find this coral in the eastern Indian Ocean and the central and western Pacific Ocean. It lives near countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Samoan Islands, and the Solomon Islands. This coral likes warm, shallow reefs. It lives on reef slopes and flat areas underwater, usually about 15 to 35 meters deep. A scientist named Carden Wallace first described it in 1994.
What It Looks Like
This coral grows in large groups called colonies. These colonies can be up to 1 meter wide. They often form flat, plate-like shapes. The coral has delicate, curved parts called axial corallites. These parts make the coral look a bit like moss. Acropora jacquelineae is not a very common coral. It can be pinkish or grey-brown in color. It shares some features with another coral called Acropora paniculata.
Where It Lives and Why It Needs Help
Acropora jacquelineae is listed as a vulnerable species. This means its population is shrinking. It is also protected by an international agreement called CITES. We don't know exactly how many of these corals are left. However, many things threaten them.
These threats include:
- The overall loss of coral reefs around the world.
- Rising ocean temperatures, which cause coral bleaching. Bleaching makes corals sick and can kill them.
- Climate change, which affects ocean conditions.
- Human activities, like pollution or damage from boats.
- The crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), which eats coral.
- Different coral diseases.
This coral lives in the eastern Indian Ocean and the central and western Pacific Ocean. You can find it off the coasts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Samoan Islands, and the Solomon Islands. It prefers depths between 15 and 35 meters. It lives on the underwater slopes and flat areas of tropical reefs.
How It Was Named
The scientist Carden Wallace officially described this coral in 1994. She gave it the name Acropora jacquelineae.
