Porite coral

Photo: Ryan McMinds · CC BY

The massive dome coral Porites lutea is the reef's geological backbone, growing at only a few millimetres per year but living for centuries to form the great bommies and table structures that define reef topography. In Dodola's protected lagoon, colonies reach 3 m across and likely represent 200 to 400 years of continuous growth, predating European contact with the region. These ancient structures provide the structural complexity that shelters the lagoon's exceptional fish and invertebrate communities, and their health is a direct indicator of the bay's low sedimentation and pristine water quality.