Puerto Rico Dive Sites

Elkhorn coral

Acropora palmata · Also called: Coral cuerno de alce

Protection: Threatened under the US Endangered Species Act; taking, harming or collecting it is prohibited.[1]

Facts

  • Golden tan to pale brown with white tips, with flattened branches that angle up from a central trunk like antlers.[1]
  • Grows in clear, shallow water, 1 to 15 feet, mostly where waves hit hard.[1]
  • Very vulnerable to disease and bleaching. NOAA designated critical habitat in Puerto Rico.[1]
  • Under Puerto Rico's coral reef law, removing or damaging any coral can get you fined.[2]

Where it's been reported (2)

From the sources on each dive site's page. Sightings are never guaranteed.

  • Isla Verde Reef · San Juan & North Coast“live coral incl. Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis (threatened)” (Oficina de Gerencia y Presupuesto, Gobierno de Puerto Rico)
  • Playa Los Tubos · San Juan & North Coast“Acropora palmata and Acropora cervicornis (listed corals)” (DRNA)

Sources

  1. Elkhorn Coral · NOAA Fisheries (accessed 2026-10-22)
  2. Ley para la Protección, Conservación y Manejo de los Arrecifes de Coral en Puerto Rico (Ley Núm. 147-1999), Art. 3 and 10, OGP compilation rev. 15 abril 2024 · Oficina de Gerencia y Presupuesto, Gobierno de Puerto Rico (accessed 2026-10-22)

Last checked 2026-10-22