Montipora capitata is a colonial scleractinian coral (family Acroporidae) dominant in Hawaiian reef ecosystems, forming encrusting to plating colonies on diverse reef substrates from shallow reef crests to depths of over 25 m. It is one of the most studied corals in the Hawaiian Islands and a key subject for research on bleaching dynamics, tissue loss disease, and ocean acidification effects on calcification. The species harbors diverse Symbiodiniaceae communities and shows differential bleaching susceptibility among genotypes. It is an important model for coral reef conservation in the Hawaiian archipelago. Genomic data have been generated for this species and are available in public databases, enabling comparative studies of cnidarian evolution and ecology.