Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) was so dominant that significant portions of Caribbean reefs were dubbed the "palmata zone" when coral ecosystems were first described. Over time, both elkhorn and staghorn corals became centerpieces of a diverse ecosystem, providing structure and shelter for a variety of marine species. It is believed that no other Caribbean coral can replace the important roles these species play in reef communities.

Unfortunately, these irreplaceable species are now on the brink of extinction. Since the late 1970s, these corals have declined by more than 97 percent throughout significant portions of their historic ranges, and the areas that remain relatively healthy face severe threats from global warming and other problems. Because of this decline, in March 2004 the Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal administrative petition with the U.S. government to protect these corals under the federal Endangered Species Act.

The Endangered Species Act is a safety net for plants, fish and wildlife that are facing extinction, protecting both species and the places where they live. The Endangered Species Act has been profoundly effective at preventing species’ extinctions: over 98 percent of the species protected by the Endangered Species Act have been saved from extinction, and scientists believe that without the law the United States would currently have an order-of-magnitude less biodiversity than we have today.

However, the threats confronting these corals are daunting. Corals face many traditional, localized threats such as sedimentation, pollution and predation. But the most imposing threats to the corals' continued existence are virulent coral diseases that we do not completely understand, rising sea temperatures that force corals to end their symbiotic relationships with helpful algae (also known as coral bleaching), and massive and recurrent hurricanes that reduce coral reefs to rubble. All of these major threats are driven by global warming. Scientists believe that as our environment warms further, coral diseases will become even more virulent, bleaching events will become commonplace, and hurricanes may become more intense and possibly also more frequent.

Fortunately, Endangered Species Act protections will address these threats head-on, providing benefits to the corals in a variety of ways. First, the U.S. government will be required to prepare a recovery plan for the species, which will likely include a comprehensive research strategy and a corresponding increase in funding for the study of coral diseases and their cures. Second – because the Endangered Species Act not only protects species but also the places that they need to survive – the areas that still have healthy coral stands will be designated as "critical habitat," ensuring that these core areas are protected and enhanced while the recovery plan is implemented. And perhaps most importantly, Endangered Species Act protection will require greenhouse-gas emitting industries to consider the well being and recovery of these corals before they are given permits to pollute, and if adverse impacts are anticipated, to modify their behavior to protect the corals.

In response to the Center's petition, earlier this month the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) protected the corals as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. The "threatened" listings can constitute a major advancement in coral reef conservation if NMFS ensures that the species' critical habitats are protected and that the prohibitions against "taking" (harming or killing) the species provide full protection to coral reefs.

The coral species need full protection from take under the Endangered Species Act. Coral reef biologists have determined that thecorals have declined by more than 97 percent in every area where systematic population counts have been conducted. While the corals have persisted at a very low level for a number of years – a blink of an eye in the history of the species – the species face systemic threats that simultaneously impact every nautical mile of their habitats. The combination of the species' loss in significant portions of their ranges and the vast reach of systemic threats such as global warming indicates that these species are in serious danger of extinction today. By granting the species full protection from take, we can ensure that the species are given a fair chance at recovery and provide resource managers with all the tools available to grapple with threats like global warming.

NMFS must also initiate a process to immediately protect the corals' critical habitats. The government's own data show that species that have their critical habitats protected for more than two years are twice as likely to be recovering as those that do not have critical habitat areas protected. This indicates that protecting critical habitats as soon as possible is essential to the effectiveness of coral recovery efforts.