A photo collection of the hard, soft and black corals observed in the near-shore waters of the Hawaiian islands. Other Cnidarians, such as zoanthids, are welcome, but sea jellies deserve their own Mission.
Photos of corals in aquariums are welcome. You may want to visit the Waikiki Aquarium and the Maui Ocean Center, and pick up a copy of the paperback book by Douglas Fenner. Corals of Hawai'i: A Field Guide to the Hard, Black, and Soft Corals of Hawai'i and the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, including Midway. Honolulu. Mutual Publishing. 2005.
Coral disease identification is a growing field of study. Consult the Eyes of the Reef website at: http://reefcheckhawaii.org/eyesofthereef.htm
The best (Gold Standard) website is Keoki Stender's Marine Life Photography at: http://www.marinelifephotography.com/
~Coral Rick, Kihei, Hawai'i
Coral identification is difficult even with a good macro photo of the coral polyps and corallite. Close-ups are encouraged for species identification. Mixed reefs and patchy reefs are very common with several species of coral.
Mission Wall