The Preferred Habitat of Dichocoenia stokesi

Since the 1970s, corals have been exposed to an onslaught of natural and man-made stressors including severe tropical storms, bleaching, disease, and coastal development. As a result of these pressures, several tropical Western Atlantic corals have been labeled as Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species. The focus of this study was to document the field ecology patterns of the EDGE species, Dichocoenia stokesi (Elliptical Star Coral) around Little Cayman, a remote tropical island which has minimal anthropogenic stressors. Coral Point Count (CPCe) was used to analyze underwater images and to determine the population structures of 47 D. stokesi colonies at 11 sites located near public mooring lines. Colony surface areas ranged between 4-575 m2, indicative of a D. stokesi population with multiple age classes. Twenty common Caribbean coral species were observed within one meter of the D. stokesi colonies. The most common nearest neighbors were Agaricia agarites, Porites asteroides, Siderastrea siderea, S. radians, and Psuedodiploria strigosa; however, the community structures varied significantly as a function of depth. This study provides an ecological snapshot of healthy D. stokesi- centric coral assemblages under “normal” (disturbance-free) environmental conditions. Such baseline demographic data may aid in conserving remaining EDGE populations of D. stokesi and monitoring of population dynamics in response to coral reef stressors.