July 27, 2023 — The Center for Biological Diversity sued the National Marine Fisheries Service on Wednesday claiming the agency has failed to protect corals in the Caribbean and the Indo-Pacific threatened by ever-growing climate effects and the world’s largest aquarium industry.
Although the service is required to develop a program for the conservation and recovery of species it designates under the Endangered Species Act, the 20 species of coral named by the center in the lawsuit received no follow-up conservation efforts after being listed as threatened in 2014.
Like many other marine species, the five Caribbean and 15 Indo-Pacific corals cited in the suit face increased threats from rising ocean temperatures and ocean acidification from human pollutants, and are further imperiled through disease, predation and the coral trade.
The center identifies five Caribbean corals in their suit — pillar coral, lobed star coral, mountainous star coral, boulder star coral and rough cactus coral, as well as 15 Indo-Pacific coral species including Acropora jacquelineae, Euphyllia paradivisa and Montipora australiensis.