The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration added 20 varieties of coral to the list of threatened species. Five of the affected coral species are native to the Caribbean, while 15 are found in the Indo Pacific.
Corals are invertebrate animals that usually grow in cylindrical shapes, called polyps, clustered in colonies.
Environmental protection for the threatened corals was first developed two years ago, and the proposed rule was opened for public discussion. Since that time, numerous studies have confirmed the vital role that corals play in maintaining a healthy aquatic environment. Many varieties of fish, some of them commercially important, depend on the colonies to provide shelter.
"Coral reefs are one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth, providing habitat for many marine species. Protecting and conserving these biologically rich ecosystems is essential, and the Endangered Species Act gives us the tools to conserve and recover those corals most in need of protection," Eileen Sobeck, assistant administrator NOAA fisheries, said.
Corals are threatened with extinction worldwide. Populations of some species have declined by up to 90 percent in some areas of the globe.
Staghorn and Elkhorn corals were first listed as threatened in 2006. These new additions bring the number of corals considered threatened up to 22. So far, none of the invertebrates have been listed as endangered by the federal agency.
Corals are threatened by global climate change, as well as acidification of oceans and disease. Poor fishing techniques can severely damage coral reefs, presenting one of the biggest dangers to the marine life forms.
The Center for Biological Diversity delivered a petition to the federal government in 2009, calling for additional legal protections for corals. A total of 83 coral species were identified for protection by the environmental advocacy group.
The proposed ruling, developed in 2012, would have listed a total of 66 species between the threatened and endangered lists. That number was pared down to 20 after research by NOAA, as well as public comment was considered.
"The amount of scientific information sought, obtained, and analyzed was unprecedented. This information included general reef-building coral biology, habitat characteristics and threats, as well as species-specific spatial, demographic, and other information for the individual coral species in the final rule," NOAA officials wrote in a public statement on the new ruling.
The new ruling does not extend usage rules to the newly-named corals, as their status as threatened does not provide the automatic protections endangered animals enjoy. Further protections may be developed in the near future for the threatened species.
