They are passive suspension feeders that feed on organic matter suspended in the water column.

They are often brown, green, or grey in color and are identified by their thin plates and irregular ridge pattern.

The M. reesi species occupies the greatest depths found in deep-water fore reefs from 20 to 76 meters.

After fertilization, the egg, called a zygote, drifts through the water and undergoes cell division in mitosis.

The coral planula moves with tiny cilia that cover the body until it finds a hard substrate suitable for settlement.

Factors such as habitat loss, disease, warming ocean temperatures, and physical destruction are contributing to reduced coral populations worldwide.

Localized threats include human development, invasive species, unsustainable fishing practices, and pollution.

Stony corals throughout the Caribbean are greatly threatened by habitat loss and susceptible to disease.