SINGAPORE- As the world warms, certain species of animals, like the hard corals that help sustain sea communities, tend to feel the heat more than others. Recognising the vulnerability of these reef builders, the National Parks Board (Nparks) has moved to add 10 hard coral species to its species recovery programme, to ensure they continue to thrive. On Saturday (Sept 25), NParks said at the annual Festival of Biodiversity outreach event that fragments of these coral species will be nurtured in a coral nursery on St John's Island, to be "planted" off Sisters' Islands Marine Park when ready. Among the 10 species are: Micromussa amakusensis, a new species recorded in Singapore in 2019, and Trachyphyllia geoffroyi, a unique coral shaped like the figure "8". Hard corals consist of an outermost layer of live tissue and a calcium carbonate skeleton, and are the builders of coral reefs, which help to sustain communities and grow economies through supporting fisheries and eco-tourism. Their calcium carbonate skeleton provide nooks and crannies for other marine life such as baby fish, crabs and sea slugs to find shelter in. But hard corals are also sensitive to slight increases in sea surfac...