Study: 44% Reef-Building Corals Threatened With Extinction

A global reassessment found that 44% of reef-building coral species with sufficient data are threatened with extinction, up from about one-third in 2008, and researchers warn the risk has likely increased since the assessment’s data cutoff amid severe bleaching and rising ocean temperatures. Climate change is the principal threat, while disease and habitat loss have also devastated reefs, including Florida’s staghorn and elkhorn corals. Restoration efforts use underwater nurseries to grow coral fragments for transplantation onto damaged reefs, while conservationists emphasize preserving genetic diversity to improve resilience.