Study Estimates Over 1/4 Of 845 Known Coral Species At Risk Of Extinction - New Scientist

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Within one generation, diving on coral reefs could be a very rare holiday opportunity. The first comprehensive review of tropical coral species reveals that over one-quarter reef-building coral species already face extinction. This means corals join frogs and toads as the most threatened group of animal species on the planet.

There are 845 known species of corals that build reefs and live in symbiosis with algae. Not enough is known about 141 of these to determine how threatened they are. But of the 704 remaining species, scientists say 32.8% are at risk of extinction.

The team, which was led by Kent Carpenter of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and gathered experts from around the world, used the IUCN Red List criteria to assess the 845 species.

Two hundred and thirty one species (27%) were found to be threatened with extinction. A further 176 (21%) were deemed "near-threatened".

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http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn14295-corals-join-frogs-and-toads-as-worlds-most-endangered.html?feedId=online-news_rss20