September 25, 2018 — Officials say endangered or threatened species protection may be warranted for cauliflower coral across its entire range — not just Hawaii.
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports the National Marine Fisheries Service issued last week its 90-day finding on a March petition seeking Endangered Species Act protection for the coral.
The coral, Pocillpora meandrina, is found in Hawaii and on most shallow reefs in the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Pacific. It has been devastated by habitat changes, disease and predation, lack of protection and other natural man-made factors.
The Center for Biological Diversity, which raised the petition, says in Hawaii alone, there was a 36.1 percent drop in coverage from 1999-2012.