Coral Garden

A small, manmade “coral garden” sits on the ocean floor at Playa Melones, Puerto Rico. Coral species, clockwise from top: a yellow symmetrical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) with a visible white spot from white plague disease, encrusting algae (Ramicrusta), grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis), lobed star coral (Orbicella annularis), and branching finger coral (Porites furcata). In the center are more branching finger coral and lobed star coral, as well as bright yellow mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides). The long, thin black and bright red sections are various sea rods.