John,

Climate change, pollution and other threats have put five fragile coral species at high risk in the Indo-Pacific, the tropical waters from the Indian Ocean to the western and central Pacific.

These corals desperately need a chance to recover. Federally protected critical habitat will double that chance. [link removed]

A decade ago NOAA Fisheries protected all five coral species under the Endangered Species Act, but it didn’t grant them critical habitat — even though science shows that species with critical habitat are twice as likely to recover as those without it. Finally the agency has proposed protecting 97 square miles of their habitat across 16 Indo-Pacific islands. Now it needs a push from you to finalize those protections.

Corals play a crucial role in marine ecosystems. They reduce coastline erosion, buffer coastline communities against storms, and create habitat for fish, sponges, crabs, sea stars and other wildlife. These five coral species need critical habitat soon, for their own sake *and* for the sake of the spectacular reefscapes they sustain.

Tell NOAA Fisheries to finalize habitat protection for these corals as soon as possible. [link removed]

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Center for Biological Diversity
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