[Coral-List] NOAA Finds 66 Corals Warrant Listing under the US Endangered Species Act

[Jennifer Moore - NOAA Federal]

Today, NOAA announced that we are proposing to list 66 reef-building coral
species under the US Endangered Species Act, including 59 species in the
Indo-Pacific and seven in the Caribbean. Additionally, we are proposing
that the two Caribbean coral species (Acropora palmata and Acropora
cervicornis) currently listed should be reclassification from threatened to
endangered.  We are also holding 18 public hearings on the proposal during
our 90-day public comment period to continue to encourage public engagement
before we make a final decision. Specific details on the proposed listings
and all of the documents associated with our finding will be available
online after 1:00 pm EST at:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2012/11/82corals.html.

NOAA’s proposal to list these coral species is based on the best available
scientific information. To recap, in 2009, NOAA received petition to list
83 species of reef-building corals under the ESA from the Center for
Biological Diversity. On February 10, 2010, NOAA found that the Center
presented substantial information indicating that listing under the ESA may
be warranted for 82 of the 83 petitioned species. Following the initial
finding, NOAA convened a Biological Review Team to initiate a formal status
review of the 82 species. The result was a *Status Review Report*, released
in April 2012. The peer-reviewed report incorporated and summarized the
best available scientific and commercial data to date. The agency also
conducted a public engagement process between April and July 2012 to gather
additional scientific information, allow time for a public review of the
Status Review and Draft Management Reports, and to further engage the
public. All relevant information gathered was summarized in a new
Supplemental Information Report.  Together, the Status Review, Supplemental
Information, and Final Management reports form the basis of our proposed
listing.

If you want more information on our proposed listing,please view the
extensive information available
online<http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2012/11/82corals.html>,
attend one of the public hearings in early 2013, or contact one of our
experts. We look forward to continuing the public engagement process we
began three years ago when this process started.

-- 

*Jennifer Moore
ESA Coral Coordinator | Protected Resources Division
NOAA Fisheries Service
263 13th Ave South
Saint Petersburg, FL 33701727-551-5797 phone | 727-824-5309
faxjennifer.moore at noaa.gov
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/esa/acropora.htm*

*http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/esa/82CoralSpecies.htm*
<http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/esa/82CoralSpecies.htm>*

To those who sacrificed careers of adventure in the wide-open spaces
to wrestle for conservation in the policy arena.*