Coral bommies, the soul of a vibrant reef, like all living organisms will grow upward and outward, until, like Icarus flying too close to the sun, they reach the hard practical limits of growth. Why don't trees grow taller forever, like Jacks beanstalk? Why do you think coral can?
We are currently experiencing the highest tides of the year in NQ, the "king" tides, but the inverse of that is the lowest lows. So a 0.6m low tide at 3pm will leave the highest coral exposed. If it is a cloudless day and there isn't a wind blowing to splash that coral and keep it cool it will die. The living coral polyp is colourful, its exoskeleton is simple calcium, thus white. Flying over and taking pic will show the coral that grew too close to the sun. The skeleton will break off and forms rubble. How do you think coral atolls form? It's the circle of life.
