Aloha! Flat-topped coral shows up off Oahu coast for first time
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/aloha-flat-topped-coral-shows-oahu-coast-first-time-6C10887938
A type of coral common to the tropical Pacific but rare in Hawaii has been discovered off the coast of Oahu for the first time.
The table coral, Acropora cytherea named for its tablelike flat top that extends above its stubby base colonizes broad stretches of the mid-Pacific, but has only been spotted in three locations off of the main Hawaiian Islands, and never around Oahu.
Researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) based in Oahu discovered the unexpected colony last November during a routine scuba survey off the southern coast of the island. Based on the size of the coral, they estimated that it was about 14 years old. A summary of their findings appears in the July issue of the journal Bulletin of Marine Science. [Colorful Creations: Incredible Corals]
Another species migrating to more temperate climes as the planet warms?