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Endangered and Threatened Species; Critical Habitat for the Threatened Caribbean Corals

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Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN) filings
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Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN) filed 2 comments on this docket between Jan 26, 2021 and Jan 26, 2021. 5 other organizations filed here. The comment window closed 2009d ago.

What Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN) filed (2)

Jan 26, 2021· Comment from Turtle Island Restoration Network· NOAA-NMFS-2020-0131-0019

I am writing in support of the proposed critical habitat protections for the five threatened Caribbean coral species and seven threatened Indo-Pacific coral species. All of these species have undergone some level of population decline and are susceptible to multiple threats. Notably, the most severe threats are attributed to climate change which NMFS describes as creating a foreseeable likelihood and danger of extinction for these corals throughout all of their ranges. An estimated 50% of coral reefs worldwide have already been lost to climate change, and about one-third of reef-building coral species are at risk of extinction. Stressors and risks to threatened coral species include both climate related threats as well as ecological effects of fishing and land-based sources of pollution. Impacts of the climate crisis include ocean acidification, which hinders the ability of corals to grow, and ocean warming, which causes corals to expel the algae living in their tissues in a phenomenon known as coral bleaching. High-growth conditions for reef-building corals include clear, warm waters with abundant light, and low levels of nutrients, sediments, and freshwater. Critical habitat designations are necessary to reduce and remove threats to these conditions which foster growth and recovery of these threatened species Coral reefs help support over 25% of all marine life, and designation of critical habitat for these coral species means a chance for recovery and the opportunity to save them from extinction. Thank you for commitment to saving these corals, the critical habitat and the enormous diverse ecosystem they support.

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Jan 26, 2021· Comment from Turtle Island Restoration Network· NOAA-NMFS-2020-0131-0446

Please see attached for comments from the Turtle Island Restoration Network.

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Abstract

We, NMFS, propose to designate critical habitat for the threatened Caribbean corals: Orbicella annularis, O. faveolata, O. franksi, Dendrogyra cylindrus, and Mycetophyllia ferox pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Twenty-eight mostly overlapping specific occupied areas containing physical features essential to the conservation of all these coral species are being proposed for designation as critical habitat; these areas contain approximately 15,000 square kilometers (km2; 5,900 square miles (mi2)) of marine habitat. We have considered positive and negative economic, national security, and other relevant impacts of the proposed designations, and we propose to exclude one area from the critical habitat designations due to anticipated impacts on national security. We are soliciting comments from the public on all aspects of the proposal, including our identification of the geographical area and depths occupied by the species, the physical and biological feature essential to the coral species’ conservation and identification, areas not included and excluded, and consideration of impacts of the proposed action.

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Co-filers (5)

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