| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Anchored |
| Category | Corals |
| Species | Coral geodesica ("geodesic coral") |
| Attitude | Passive |
| Biome | Coral Gardens |
| Scan Tool | Bioscanner |
The Coral Dome is an anchored lifeform that lives around the Coral Gardens. It is a common source of Quartz.
Appearance
The Coral Dome is large and spherical, primarily consisting of orange and yellow with grey patches indicative of coral bleaching. It contains a hollow cavity in which Quartz can be found in great abundance.
Databank Entry
Source: Scan a Coral Dome
Coral geodesica. The defining feature of its shallow biome.
1. Coral analog
Like Earthly coral, the dome is a colony of polyps, small jellyfish-like animals that secrete a limestone skeleton. This process uses dissolved carbon dioxide from the seawater: Corals are therefore an important methods of climate regulation, since they transform atmospheric carbon into hard limestone.
2. Dual feeding strategy
The dome's outer surface feeds on sunlight, using photosynthetic symbiotes known as zooxanthellae. As the dome grows, the colony clears its interior, recycling the limestone for reuse. Polyps on the inside of the dome hunt with stinging tentacles.
3. Mineral expulsion
As the dome grows, it collects and expels mineral waste, creating nodes of Quartz.
4. Critical ecosystem element
The dome corals help regulate global climate and provide a breakwater, reducing erosion in their shallow surroundings. The domes capture nutritious sediment from sea currents. Pioneers should prioritize a survey of coral health.
Assessment: Critical source of Quartz. Vital to the local ecosystem.
Gallery
In Game
 A Small Coral Dome growing on the Welcome Center.
 A small Coral Dome.
 A medium-sized Coral Dome.
 The Crab Tower present in the Shallows.
 The interior of a Coral Dome.
 The Spider Dome viewed from afar.
 A bleached-out dome in the Graveyard caves.
