Staghorn corals vital to the growth of reefs around the world are witnessing severe setbacks because of human activities, a new report suggests. These life-forms are critical to the formation of coral reefs, the most genetically-diverse areas on the planet.

Acropora first evolved roughly 50 million years ago, but it was not until much later - 1.8 million years ago - that these staghorn corals became so ubiquitous in reefs.

Today, these life-forms are one of the most prolific of all reef builders, in part because of their ability to quickly populate a given region. However, researchers warn they are also among the most vulnerable of these species to man-made changes to the environment. Surprisingly, these life-forms seem to thrive during times when sea levels rise or fall over a short period of time.

"These are the corals that have allowed reefs to prosper during past intervals of rapid sea level change. But it seems as if staghorn corals will be compromised in providing this service in the future, even as we anticipate sea level rises over the next century," said Ken Johnson of the Natural History Museum.

Coral reefs are home to more species of marine life than any other single environment. They also provide a valuable service to human communities set on coastal regions. These formations are able to absorb up to 97 percent of the energy from incoming waves, calming waters along the seashore.

Staghorns supply much the the vertical shape of reefs, strengthening and sustaining the formations. However, researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Australia now report that coral cover has been reduced by up to 95 percent in some areas of the world, including the Caribbean. Regions without staghorn corals can quickly become inundated with algae.

Overfishing and global climate change can greatly impact the overall health of reefs, particularly staghorn coral. Researchers who participated in the new report suggest that by improving water quality, human beings may be able to better fortify staghorn corals from damage caused by global climate change.

The analysis of how environmental factors are affecting staghorn coral and what this could mean to reefs around the planet was published in the journal Science Advances.