Coral conservation, one polyp at a time.
This Plerogyra (“bubble coral”) was significantly damaged on 14 July 2012. The damage was so new that the tissue was still attached.
Although the coral looks worse here (15 August 2012), the damage was stopped.
By 7 October 2012, the coral was mostly recovered and growing again.
Here, the coral is completely recovered and beautiful! (21 October 2012)
Only three months went by between when this Plerogyra (“bubble coral”) was damaged and fully recovered.
I believe this is a Physogyra coral (closely related to Plerogyra), and I received it on 8 February 2020 in quite bad condition. Most of the tissue was rotting along the edges, and the skeleton was exposed.
By 9 May 2020, the coral was no longer receding, had polyp expansion, and was starting to regrow over its old skeleton.
Here the coral is fluorescing under actinic lighting.
Only three months later, and this Physogyra was well on its way to full recovery!