Regeneration of Superficial Damage in the Scleractinian Corals Agaricia Agaricites F. Purpurea and Porites Astreoides

We studied regeneration of artificial lesions (simulating damage by predators and physical factors) on the living surfaces of the corals Agaricia agaricites f. purpurea and Porites astreoides in situ at 25 and 18–23 m, respectively. Porites regenerated ≈50% of 1 cm² lesions completely, Agaricia less than 10%. Larger, 5 cm², lesions were not re-covered by either species in the 140 days of observation. The results demonstrate the vulnerability of some corals to mechanical damage and illustrate species-specific characteristics.