Despite its wide distribution, Lamarck’s sheet coral is relatively rare, and like all corals, it faces numerous threats. Of major concern to corals worldwide is global climate change, which may lead to more severe, frequent storms, ocean acidification and an increase in ocean temperatures, in turn leading to coral ‘bleaching’. Due to their thin tissues, corals are highly sensitive to bleaching events, in which the zooxanthellae are lost, leading to increased disease susceptibility and often death. Coral diseases also affect coral reefs worldwide, and are considered a major contributory factor in reef destruction (1).
Localised human impacts, including fisheries, development, pollution, sedimentation, tourism and coral harvesting, also place additional stress on sensitive coral reef habitats (9). It is estimated that, globally, 20 percent of coral reefs have been destroyed (1).