Coral reefs are essential ecosystems, providing ecological and socioeconomic benefits globally, including habitat for marine life, coastal protection, and support for fisheries and tourism. However, these reefs face significant threats due to overfishing, destructive fishing practices, pollution, sedimentation, and the effects of climate change. In response to these threats, the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), particularly no-take zones, has become a key strategy to conserve biodiversity and support reef recovery. This study evaluates the coral reef community structure within a no-take zone of the Tapanuli Tengah Marine Protected Area, located in North Sumatra, Indonesia. Through underwater photo transects, the study assessed coral coverage, diversity, and spatial variation across three sites within the protected area. The results indicate significant differences in coral community composition and condition between sites, with Site 3 showing the highest diversity but lower coral cover, potentially due to environmental stressors. In contrast, Site 2 exhibited lower diversity and higher dominance by specific genera, suggesting the presence of ecological stress or degradation. These findings underscore the importance of understanding community structure within MPAs for effective conservation management and highlight the varying levels of ecological health across different reef sites. The research provides the first detailed assessment of coral community structure within the no-take zone of the Tapanuli Tengah Marine Protected Area (MPA). Unlike previous studies, which primarily focused on fish populations or general coral biodiversity in the region, this study presents spatial variations in coral coverage, diversity, and community composition across different sites within the MPA. These findings offer new insights into the spatial heterogeneity of coral ecosystems in protected areas, an aspect that has been underexplored in this context.