Dispersal distances profoundly affect ecological and evolutionary dynamics within species. Resolving the scale of dispersal and its variance across species will provide insights regarding the ability of species to self-recruit and exchange propagules between distant locations. Such information is critical for insights into species’ ability to recover following local disturbances, expand their range, and exchange the adaptive genetic variation needed for withstanding environmental changes. Yet, measuring dispersal distances for marine organisms remains a persistent challenge. The need for estimating dispersal within corals is urgent given their susceptibility to climate change, however, estimates of dispersal distances in corals are largely absent. Here, we leverage methods based on patterns of spatial genetic structure to estimate generational dispersal distances among coral species. We gather data from previously published studies that have utilised individual-based sampling to synthesise results from an array of coral species across the globe. We find that dispersal distances can be quite short (metres), especially for brooding species. These findings have important implications for considering how corals will respond to environmental change and appropriate spatial scales for restoration.