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What the sources say

Staghorn CoralAcropora cervicornis

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Staghorn Coral profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 37 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

NOAA Fisheries

Staghorn Coral. NOAA Fisheries.

The page sayscan grow up to 8 inches of branch a year
The source sayswhen healthy, it can grow up to 8 inches in branch length per year
The page sayslost 97 percent of its numbers to one disease
The source saysthe staghorn coral population declined 97 percent from white band disease
The page saysTypically clear, shallow reefs 15 to 60 feet deep across the Bahamas, Florida and the Caribbean
The source saysfound typically in clear, shallow water (15–60 feet) on coral reefs throughout the Bahamas, Florida, and the Caribbean
The page saysFood from photosynthetic algae inside its cells, plus plankton caught by its polyps' tentacles
The source saysget food from photosynthetic algae that live inside the coral's cells. They also feed by capturing plankton with their polyps’ tentacles
The page saysGrows up to 8 inches of branch a year
The source saysit can grow up to 8 inches in branch length per year
The page saysbroken pieces re-attach to start new colonies
The source saysStaghorn coral can also form new colonies when broken pieces, called fragments, re-attach to hard surfaces
The page saysits branches typically stem from a central trunk and angle upward, and are typically 1 to 3 inches thick
The source saystypically stem out from a central trunk and angle upward. Branches are typically 1–3 inches thick
The page saysColonies are golden tan or pale brown with white tips
The source saysStaghorn coral colonies are golden tan or pale brown with white tips
The page saysa single colony can grow to at least 4 feet tall and 6 feet across
The source saysIndividual colonies can grow to at least 4 feet in height and 6 feet in diameter
The page saysEach colony is made of many individual polyps, and each polyp is an exact copy of the others in the same colony
The source saysEach staghorn coral colony is made up of many individual polyps that grow together. Each polyp is an exact copy of all the polyps in the same colony
The page saysThe colour comes from algae living inside its tissue
The source saysthey get their color from the algae that live within their tissue
The page saysStaghorn coral is one of the fastest growing corals
The source saysStaghorn coral is one of the fastest growing corals
The page saysIt reaches reproductive maturity at about 7 inches tall
The source saysStaghorn coral reaches reproductive maturity at about 7 inches tall
The page saysOnce a year, after the full moon in late summer, it releases eggs and sperm into the open water, called "broadcast spawning".
The source sayssexually reproduces once per year after the full moon in late summer by “broadcast spawning” eggs and sperm into the water column
The page saysNOAA lists its lifespan as up to hundreds of years
The source saysLifespan Up to hundreds of yearsNote: Quick Facts box on NOAA page last updated 07/14/2026; colony lifespan
The page saysNOAA compares staghorn corals to prairie tumbleweeds: they are often dislodged and tumble to a new place on the reef, where they can re-attach and keep growing.
The source saysStaghorn corals resemble tumbleweeds of the prairie in that they are often dislodged and tumble to a new place on the reef where they can re-attach and keep growing
The page saysYou typically find it in clear, shallow water, 15 to 60 feet down, on reefs throughout the Bahamas, Florida and the Caribbean
The source saysfound typically in clear, shallow water (15–60 feet) on coral reefs throughout the Bahamas, Florida, and the Caribbean
The page saysPalm Beach County, Florida, is the northern edge of its range
The source saysThe northern extent of the range in the Atlantic Ocean is Palm Beach County, Florida
The page saysPhotosynthetic algae inside its cells feed it, and its polyps also capture plankton with their tentacles
The source saysget food from photosynthetic algae that live inside the coral's cells. They also feed by capturing plankton with their polyps’ tentacles
The page saysDense groups called thickets provide important habitat for other reef animals, especially fish
The source saysStaghorn coral can form dense groups called “thickets” in very shallow water. These provide important habitat for other reef animals, especially fish
The page saysStaghorn coral was once so abundant that an entire reef zone is named for it
The source saysso abundant that an entire reef zone is named for it
The page saysStarting in the 1980s, white band disease, which kills the coral's tissue, cut the population by 97 percent
The source saysBeginning in the 1980s, the staghorn coral population declined 97 percent from white band disease. This disease kills the coral’s tissues
The page saysNOAA calls ocean warming the greatest threat: it makes corals release their algae, which usually causes death.
The source saysThe greatest threat to staghorn coral is ocean warming, which causes the corals to release the algae that live in their tissue and provide them food, usually causing death
The page saysNOAA says a colony can reach at least 4 feet (about 1.2 meters) tall and 6 feet (about 1.8 meters) across, with branches typically 1 to 3 inches thick.
The source saysBranches are typically 1–3 inches thick. Individual colonies can grow to at least 4 feet in height and 6 feet in diameterNote: metric conversions added
The page saysNOAA classifies it in the animal kingdom, phylum Cnidaria
The source saysKingdom Animalia Phylum Cnidaria
The page saysThe photosynthesis is done by algae that live inside the coral's cells and feed it.
The source saysget food from photosynthetic algae that live inside the coral's cells
The page saysA severe disease event in the early 1980s caused major deaths across its range, and NOAA puts the population at less than 3 percent of its former size.
The source saysIn the early 1980s, a severe disease event caused major mortality throughout its range and now the population is less than 3 percent of its former abundance
The page saysIt is hard to bounce back, because successful reproduction is very rare.
The source saysSuccessful reproduction is very rare, so it is hard for staghorn coral populations to increaseNote: paraphrase: source's 'so' reversed into 'because'
The page sayswhen healthy, it can add up to 8 inches of branch length a year
The source sayswhen healthy, it can grow up to 8 inches in branch length per year
The page saysIt gets food in two ways.
The source saysget food from photosynthetic algae that live inside the coral's cells. They also feed by capturing plankton with their polyps’ tentacles
The page saysNOAA's species page lists it as Threatened under the US Endangered Species Act and as CITES Appendix II.
The source saysProtected Status ESA Threatened Throughout Its Range CITES Appendix II Throughout Its RangeNote: NOAA page last updated 07/14/2026
The page saysNOAA has also designated four critical areas for it, off Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
The source saysNOAA Fisheries has designated four critical areas determined to provide critical recruitment habitat for staghorn corals off the coast of Florida and off the islands of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
The page saysEach colony makes both eggs and sperm, but usually does not fertilize itself.
The source sayseach colony produces both eggs and sperm, but usually does not self-fertilize
The page saysStaghorn coral is often dislodged: the pieces tumble to a new place on the reef, re-attach and keep growing.
The source saysStaghorn corals resemble tumbleweeds of the prairie in that they are often dislodged and tumble to a new place on the reef where they can re-attach and keep growingNote: vibe.reason; reuses the body claim

Source
02

Crabbe et al. 2022

Crabbe et al. (2022). Acropora cervicornis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T133381A165860142.

The page saysCritically Endangered
The source saysCritically Endangered (CR)Note: stats.conservationStatus; GBIF copy of the Red List, taxon 133381
The page saysNow it is rated Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
The source saysCritically Endangered (CR)

Source
03

Vollmer & Kline 2008

Vollmer & Kline (2008). Natural Disease Resistance in Threatened Staghorn Corals. PLoS ONE.

The page saysSome can. In a field study, 3 of 49 genotypes, six percent, resisted white band disease.
The source sayssix percent of staghorn coral genotypes (3 out of 49) are resistant to WBD

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.