[Coral-List] Caribbean coral 5-year review under the US Endangered Species Act.

[Alison Moulding]

NOAA Fisheries has published a 5-year review for seven species of Caribbean coral. A 5-year review is a periodic analysis of a species’ status conducted to ensure that the listing classification of a species as threatened or endangered under the US Endangered Species Act of 1973 is accurate. The review evaluates information that has become available since the last status review conducted in 2014. NOAA Fisheries determined that the classification for staghorn (Acropora cervicornis), elkhorn (Acropora palmata), lobed star (Orbicella annularis), mountainous star (Orbicella faveolata), boulder star (Orbicella franksi), and rough cactus (Mycetophyllia ferox) corals be maintained as threatened and that the classification for pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus) be considered for up-listing from threatened to endangered.
NOAA Fisheries is recommending changing the status of pillar coral from threatened to endangered due to loss in the northern portion of its range, the low and declining population, the susceptibility to stony coral tissue loss disease, and the rapid spread of the disease to most areas of the Caribbean.
Any change in status would be achieved through a separate rule-making process and include a public comment period.

Link to the 5-year review
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/caribean-corals-5-year-review