Location of the “SurfSide Breakwaters”. Screencapture from Google maps Dec 14, 2025
There are 2 breakwaters near to shore and parallel to shore in the area between Surfside and Discovery Bay, Holetown.
Click on images for larger versions
All specimens below have been posted on iNaturalist.
Breakwater 1
Lat 13.188091 Long -59.638449
Feb 15, 2023 iNat 198767463
Feb 7, 2024 iNat 198767195
 Mar 21, 2023 |
 Feb7, 2024. Completely dead; attributed to coral bleaching in 2023 |
Breakwater 2
Over the years 2023 ,2024 and 2025 I documented 8 specimens on this breakwater. Some, particularly those on the top of the breakwater, are not readily observed much of the time becausemof being slightly hidden, and/or because wave action on top of the breakwater and it’s shallowness makes access there difficult. Thus a particular specimenwas observed only in some years – the “surveys” were very informal, e.g. simply snorkelling the outside of the breakwater and photographing any elkhorn coral sighted. On only a couple of dates was I able to examine the top of the breakwater.
It seems notable that there was very little evidence of bleaching in any of these
specimens, even when/where they were situated next to bleached or paled specimens of other species (e.g. P. strigosa or to dead Stinging Coral (M. complanata) that was blackened and covered by epiphytes, likely attributable to a warming event in 2023 or 2024.
| No. | Obs 2023 | Obs 2024 | Obs 2025 |
| #00 | + | ||
| #1 | + | + | |
| #2 | + | + | |
| #3 | + | ||
| #4 | + | + | |
| #5 | + | + | |
| #6 | + | + | |
| #7 | + |
Breakwater Two Specimen 00 (zero zero)
Lat/Lon: 13.18658, -59.63889
Mar 3, 2023 iNat 329335295
Interior of Breakwater, old colony.
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 Interior of Breakwater, old colony |
Breakwater Two Specimen 2
Lat/Lon: 13.186918, -59.638722
Mar 3, 2023 iNat 198799254
Interior of Breakwater, old colony.
 Towards leeward edge of Breakwater |
 Approx Location |
2024 Pics
Breakwater Two Specimen #1
Lat: 13.186852Lon: -59.63872
Feb 6, 2024 iNat 198798432
Leeward side of “Breakwater Two” One small specimen, healthy
Also observed Feb 5, 2025:https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/329321991
 One small colony, healthy |
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Breakwater Two Specimen #2
Lat: 13.186918Lon: -59.638722
Feb 6, 2024 iNat 198798559
Partially dead in 2024, attributable to coral bleaching in 2023 – also observed in 2023 – See this record: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/198799254
 Mar 3, 2023 |
 Feb 6, 2024 |
Breakwater Two Specimen #3
Lat: 13.187016Lon: -59.638926
Feb 6, 2024
iNat 198799047
Breakwater Two, Specimen 3
On windward side of the Breakwater, on the breakwater itself.
 Feb 6, 2024 |
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The following specimens (4,5,6) were observed on Apr 8, 2024. They lie on the interior of the breakwater and were not readily visible or the area visitable on Feb 6, 2024.
Breakwater Two Specimen #4
Lat: 13.187224 Lon: -59.638701
Apr 8, 2024
iNat 206229422
Interior of breakwater close its northern end. Observed also on Feb 27, 2025:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/329334812
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Breakwater Two Specimen #5
Lat: 13.187139 Lon: -59.638731
Apr 8, 2024
iNat 206229319
Interior of breakwater towards northern end. Also observed Feb 27, 2025 i Nat 329334274
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Breakwater Two Specimen #6
Lat:13.186656 Lon: -59.638885
Apr 8, 2024
iNat 206224836
On the interior surface of this breakwater, a totally healthy, large colony. Nearby Millepora complanata likely had been affected by extreme warming in fall of 2023, but not this A palmata specimen. Also observed on Mar 11, 2025, see
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/329324087
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2025 Pics
Refer to records above for locations
where they are not shown below.
On leeward side of breeakwater
Breakwater2 Specimen 1
Feb 5, 2025
iNat 329321991
Also observed on Feb 6, 2024 (above)
At Interior of Breakwater.
Breakwater2 Specimen 4
Feb 27, 2025
Observed also on Apr 8, 2024
iNat 596955594
At interior of breakwater
Breakwater2 Specimen 5
iNat 329334274
Interior of breakwater
Also observed Apr 8, 2024 (above)
Specimen 6 on Mar 11, 2025 2025
Breakwater Two Specimen # 6 iNat 329324087
Also observed on Apr 8, 2024 (above)
“This specimen appears to have been beat up physically – prob Hurricane Beryl impact June30/Jul1 2024 – but not bleached at all compared to 2024.”
Breakwater Two Specimen #7
Lat:13.18642 Lon: 59.63884
Mar 23, 2025
iNat 329332940
(Not noted in 2023 or 2024, but obv. the colony is an older one)
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