Towards an agent-based model of coral colony formation

Corals are colonial organisms composed of building blocks termed zooids. We are developing an Agent Based Model to study how local interactions between zooids generate globally coherent structures, i.e., colony forms. We focus on Colpophyllia: a meandroid coral from the Caribbean with two prevalent morphs, and model the transition between them using only a few parameters. Studying the mechanics of switchlike transitions in nature can help to predict ecosystem degradation and inform conservation and management efforts.