Reef classification by coral morphology predicts coral reef conservation value

Coral reefs can be classified using triangular diagrams based on coral morphology; these taxonomy-independent classes predict several aspects of conservation value for coral reefs. Conservation classes (CC's) of 1, 2, 3 or 4 were assigned to reef sites dominated by massive and submassive corals (CC 1), foliose or branching non-Acropora corals (CC 2), Acropora corals (CC 3), or approximately equal mixes of these three end-members (CC 4). When …