Petition targets 83 coral species for U.S. endangered species list protection

[maxheadroom]

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/coral_conservation/pdfs/Coral_petition_10-20-09.pdf



From reef builders dot com:

The Center for Biological Diversity recently prepared and filed a scientific petition to have 83 coral species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The petition, filed on October 20, 2009, looks to use the powers of the Endangered Species Act to protect these corals identified as most the most vulnerable in U.S. waters. Many of these corals have suffered greatly with over 30 percent loss in the last 30 years with increased ocean temperatures and CO2 levels contributing the danger of catastrophic and potentially unrecoverable mass bleaching. Recognizable corals available in the hobby include on the list are the ever-popular Flowerpot coral (Alveopora allingi), branching frogspawn (Euphyllia paradivisa), and 22 types of Acropora, to name a few. As hobbyists we often pay close attention to the promotion of propagated and tank-raised corals but the additional of these corals to the Endangered Species list could make it harder for the import of these specific corals from non U.S.-protected waters. This makes it even more important to do our part to keep these corals thriving within the hobby through education and promotion of coral propagation techniques.

[1DeR9_3Hy]

For the lazy:

The 83 coral species covered by this Petition are as follows:
Acanthastrea brevis
Acanthastrea hemprichii
Acanthastrea ishigakiensis
Acanthastrea regularis
Acropora aculeus
Acropora acuminata
Acropora aspera
Acropora dendrum
Acropora donei
Acropora globiceps
Acropora horrida
Acropora jacquelineae
Acropora listeri
Acropora lokani
Acropora microclados
Acropora palmerae
Acropora paniculata
Acropora pharaonis
Acropora polystoma
Acropora retusa
Acropora rudis
Acropora speciosa
Acropora striata
Acropora tenella
Acropora vaughani
Acropora verweyi
Agaricia lamarcki
Alveopora allingi
Alveopora fenestrata
Alveopora verrilliana
Anacropora puertogalerae
Anacropora spinosa
Astreopora cucullata
Barabattoia laddi
Caulastrea echinulata
Cyphastrea agassizi
Cyphastrea ocellina
Dendrogyra cylindrus
Dichocoenia stokesii
Euphyllia cristata
Euphyllia paraancora
Euphyllia paradivisa
Galaxea astreata
Heliopora coerulea
Isopora crateriformis
Isopora cuneata
Leptoseris incrustans
Leptoseris yabei
Millepora foveolata
Millepora tuberosa
Montastraea annularis
Montastraea faveolata
Montastraea franksi
Montipora angulata
Montipora australiensis
Montipora calcarea
Montipora caliculata
Montipora dilatata
Montipora flabellata
Montipora lobulata
Montipora patula
Mycetophyllia ferox
Oculina varicosa
Pachyseris rugosa
Pavona bipartita
Pavona cactus
Pavona decussata
Pavona diffluens
Pavona venosa
Pectinia alcicornis
Physogyra lichtensteini
Pocillopora danae
Pocillopora elegans
Porites horizontalata
Porites napopora
Porites nigrescens
Porites pukoensis
Psammocora stellata
Seriatopora aculeata
Turbinaria mesenterina
Turbinaria peltata
Turbinaria reniformis
Turbinaria stellula


Thats a pretty broad selection....:(

[lostintheocean]

thats good to hear. Maybe that will help increase captive bred corals

[wdt2000]

thats good to hear. Maybe that will help increase captive bred corals


I think you would need a permit to buy/sell endangered species CB or not.

[dizzy]

The best available science clearly indicates that the petitioned coral species are threatened
with extinction before mid-century due to the increasing frequency of mass bleaching events at
harmfully intervals and the projected dissolution of corals due to ocean acidification. At today’s
atmospheric carbon dioxide level of ~387 ppm, corals are experiencing detrimental bleaching
events, and many of the world’s reefs are committed to irreversible declines (Veron et al. 2009).
Already, corals have been impacted by climate change, and mass bleaching events have become
more frequent and severe with serious coral mortality resulting. The committed warming from
greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere is projected to cause over half of the world’s coral
reefs, including reefs in the Indian Ocean and most of the Pacific, to experience harmfully
frequent bleaching at five-year intervals by or before 2080 (Donner 2009). Studies projecting the
impacts of ocean warming on corals indicate that the majority of the world’s corals will be
subjected to recurring mass bleaching events at frequencies from which they will be unable to
recover (five-year-intervals or less) by the 2020s or 2030s under mid-to-low level IPCC
emissions scenarios, in the absence of thermal adaptations by corals and their symbionts (Hoegh-
Guldberg 1999; Sheppard 2003; Donner et al. 2005; Donner et al. 2007; Donner 2009). The most
recent research by Donner (2009) projected that 80% of the world’s reefs, including corals in the
regions inhabited by the petitioned species, would experience bleaching at five-year intervals by
2030 under the lowest IPCC emission scenario (B1). Under the higher A1B and A1FI scenarios,
the majority of the world’s corals, including corals in the regions inhabited by the petitioned
species, would be subjected to mass bleaching at unsustainable (< 5 year) intervals by 2020
(Donner 2009).

If the doomsday predictions above are correct.............. what good will it do to list them as endangered now, and why is the list so limited?

[bobparker]

The permit to buy and sell WILL happen, it is only a few years out.

[tufacody]

"If the doomsday predictions above are correct.............. what good will it do to list them as endangered now, and why is the list so limited?"

Well...because as a human race perhaps we hope to counter our ways? Perhaps because if we destroy them ALL there will be nothing left that can recover?

[greenbean36191]

If the doomsday predictions above are correct.............. what good will it do to list them as endangered now, and why is the list so limited?
Because the ESA could potentially be used as justification for tightening emissions laws. Also, because there are other threats such as dredging, fishing, mining, and runoff affecting the same corals. The ESA would limit those impacts and improve the odds of recovery for the corals by reducing synergistic stressers.

The list is limited because there are a limited number of species that contribute to significant reef-building in US waters.

As hobbyists we often pay close attention to the promotion of propagated and tank-raised corals but the additional of these corals to the Endangered Species list could make it harder for the import of these specific corals from non U.S.-protected waters.
This makes absolutely no sense. The ESA has nothing to do with how difficult it is to import corals from outside of our territorial waters.

[Whisperer]

Do you guys think that our hobby will potentially save a specie from extinction since we can reintroduce them back in the wild? One may argue that collection in the wild may lead to extinction but IMO, many corals sold are maricultured, aquacultured and of course some wild caught.