Listing of Elkhorn and Staghorn Corals Under the ESA

In 2006, we, NOAA Fisheries, published a final rule to implement our determination to list elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and staghorn (A. cervicornis) corals as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended. We reviewed the status of the species and efforts being made to protect the species, and we made our determinations based on the best scientific and commercial data available.

In 2014, we determined that these two species currently listed as threatened (Acropora cervicornis and Acropora palmata) in the Caribbean still warrant listing as threatened.