Coral Reefs: The EDGE Plan

Conservationists unveil plans to save coral from extinction

The Edge Coral Reefs project, led by ZSL scientists, has identified 10 of the most at-risk coral species for protection

One of the 10 focal EDGE (evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered) coral reefs species, the elkhorn coral, has undergone an 95% decline in many areas of the shallow Caribbean reefs in past 3 decades. Photograph: Erik Brun/ZSL

11 January 2011 - Conservationists have unveiled plans to preserve and protect the world's most important species of coral, in a response to increasing threats that they say will lead to "functional extinction" within decades.

Led by scientists at the Zoological Society of London, the Edge Coral Reefs project has identified 10 coral species in most urgent risk of becoming extinct.

The scientists say that reefs are under pressure from a variety of threats including rising sea temperatures due to climate change, increased acidity, overfishing and pollution.

The Edge plan, which focuses on the most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered species will take a regional approach to conservation.

This means focusing on the "coral triangle" around the Philippines, the west Indian ocean around the Mozambique channel, and in the Caribbean channel.

"Coral reefs are threatened with functional extinction in the next 20-50 years, due predominantly to global climate change," said Catherine Head, co-ordinator of the reefs project. "In these regions, we'll be supporting and training in-country conservationists to carry out research and implement targeted conservation actions," she said. {continued}