articleScienceJul 11, 2008GREEN OA

One-Third of Reef-Building Corals Face Elevated Extinction Risk from Climate Change and Local Impacts

KEKent E. CarpenterMAMuhammad AbrarGSGreta S. AebyRBRichard B. AronsonSBStuart Banks

Charles Darwin Foundation · Conservation International · +5 more institutions

PubMed
Indexed incrossrefpubmed

Abstract

The conservation status of 845 zooxanthellate reef-building coral species was assessed by using International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List Criteria. Of the 704 species that could be assigned conservation status, 32.8% are in categories with elevated risk of extinction. Declines in abundance are associated with bleaching and diseases driven by elevated sea surface temperatures, with extinction risk further exacerbated by local-scale anthropogenic disturbances. The proportion of corals threatened with extinction has increased dramatically in recent decades and exceeds that of most terrestrial groups. The Caribbean has the largest proportion of corals in high extinction risk categories, whereas the…

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Topics & keywords

Topics
Keywords
  • Extinction (optical mineralogy)
  • Reef
  • Threatened species
  • Coral reef
  • Coral
  • Ecology
  • Local extinction
  • Scleractinia
UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Life below water
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