Cauliflower coral could be listed as endangered

KAILUA-KONA — Endangered or threatened species protection may be warranted for cauliflower coral across its entire range — not just Hawaii, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced this week.

The coral, Pocillpora meandrina, is found in Hawaii and on most shallow reefs in the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Pacific.

It has been devastated by habitat changes, disease and predation, lack of protection and other natural man-made factors, specifically ocean and ocean acidification resulting from global climate change, according to a March petition seeking Endangered Species Act protection for the coral.

In Hawaii alone, there was a 36.1 percent drop in coverage from 1999-2012, according to the petitioner, Center for Biological Diversity.

The National Marine Fisheries Service issued this week its 90-day finding on the petition seeking federal protection. It was published Thursday in the Federal Register.

“Cauliflower corals are in crisis, so this is great news. We need to take care of our coral reefs to maintain a healthy biodiversity in our oceans,” said Maxx Phillips, Center for Biological Diversity Hawaii director. “Federal action is urgently need to protect cauliflower coral, called ko‘a in Hawaiian, and our coral ecosystems that are dying out from ocean warming and climate change.”

The petition sought to have the Hawaii population of P. meandrina be considered a “significant portion of the range” (SPR) of the species and that it be listed because of its status in Hawaii.

However, the service said its interpretation of the Endangered Species Act requires it first determine the species is neither endangered nor threatened throughout its entire range.

“We find that the petition and other readily available information in our files indicates that P. meandrina may warrant listing as a threatened species or an endangered species throughout its range. Thus, we will initiate a global status review of P. meandrina to determine whether listing it throughout its range is warranted,” the document posted Thursday reads. “If not, we will determine if Hawaii constitutes an SPR, and proceed accordingly.”

To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, the service said it is soliciting scientific and commercial information pertaining to P. meandrina from any interested party.

Information and comments are due by Nov. 19. They must be identified by the code “NOAA-NMFS-2018-0060” and can be submitted online via the Federal eRulemarking Portal at federalregister.gov or by postal mail to Lance Smith, NOAA IRC, NMFS/PIRO/PRD; 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg. 176; Honolulu, HI 96818.

A listing proposal could come early next year as the service is required to provide a finding within 12 months of the petition’s filing.