PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A huge piece of coral from one of the reefs at Carnegie Science Center’s Seascape exhibit is on its way to a new home.

The 18-pound piece of “shelf coral” has thrived and outgrown its current aquarium tank.

“It made it kind of hard to clean. It was approaching the sides of the tank on either side, so this is going to give us a lot more space,” said Dave Sobal, of the Carnegie Science Center. “Some of corals that were underneath it, that had gotten blocked, are going to be happier because they are going to get better light now.”

In order to allow it to continue to grow, it’s being moved to the National Aquarium in Washington, D.C., after a brief stay in Baltimore.

The Science Center’s six-part coral reef Seascape exhibit is home to more than 400 animal and plant species constantly vying for living space and habitat.

“It is kind of weird, but I know that we’ll be able to put other corals in its place – which would happen out in the wild anyway whether it’s hurricanes or tsunamis or something that would come through that would knock it out of place. Eventually, a new coral comes along and fills it in just like a forest would,” said Angela Hillenbrand, of the Carnegie Science Center.