Suit Will Be Filed to Protect 83 Corals Threatened by Global Warming, Ocean Acidification

[Staff]

Suit Will Be Filed to Protect 83 Corals Threatened by Global Warming, Ocean Acidification
Center for Biological Diversity
For Immediate Release, January 20, 2010
Contact: Miyoko Sakashita

Suit Will Be Filed to Protect 83 Corals Threatened by Global Warming, Ocean Acidification
excerpt from above:

SAN FRANCISCO— The Center for Biological Diversity has formally notified the National Marine Fisheries Service of its intent to sue the agency for its failure to respond to a petition seeking to protect 83 imperiled coral species under the Endangered Species Act. These corals, all of which occur in U.S. waters ranging from Florida and Hawaii to U.S. territories in the Caribbean and Pacific, face a growing threat of extinction due to rising ocean temperatures caused by global warming, and the related threat of ocean acidification. The Endangered Species Act requires that the National Marine Fisheries Service respond to the petition within 90 days, and this initial finding is delinquent.

[Staff]

Coral Conservation http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/coral_conservation/index.html

The world’s corals and coral reef ecosystems are in crisis. In just a few decades, scientists warn, these “rainforests of the sea” and all their rich biodiversity could disappear completely. While corals face numerous dangers, the overarching threats of global warming and ocean acidification are the greatest, and they’re accelerating the decline of corals around the world. The year of 2009 marked the warmest ocean temperatures ever recorded, putting corals at risk and foreshadowing what we can expect as climate change continues. Urgent action is needed to save the world’s coral reefs from extinction.