Staghorn coral

Photo: Matt Muir · CC BY

Staghorn coral was one of the first species to colonise the Molinere sculptures, its fast-growing branching structure making it a pioneer on the pH-neutral concrete substrate. Once the dominant reef-building coral throughout the Caribbean, it has declined by over 98 percent since the 1970s due to bleaching, disease, and hurricane damage, and is now critically endangered. The sculpture park serves as an active restoration site — fragments harvested from the Molinere colonies are used in outplanting programmes at damaged natural reefs nearby.