Expansive Table Coral Formation Reaching Toward Sunlight with Distinctive Flat Canopy Structure Growing from Reddish-Purple Reef Base in Azure Waters of Tanna Island, Vanuatu

A magnificent table coral (Acropora hyacinthus) extends its broad, pale beige canopy over the colorful reef substrate in the clear blue waters surrounding Tanna Island, Vanuatu. This fast-growing stony coral species creates critical habitat for countless marine organisms while its wide, flat structure efficiently captures sunlight for the symbiotic algae living within its tissues, forming the foundation of one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth that helps protect vulnerable coastlines from wave erosion and storm surge.