Endangered status: critically endangered

Region: Caribbean, southern Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Bahamas

Threats: ocean floor damage, ocean acidification, rising ocean, rising ocean temperature

References:

• IUCN Red List (2018) Species: Staghorn Coral. From iucnredlist.org

• NOAA Fisheries (2018) Endangered Species Conservation. From fisheries.noaa.gov

The Staghorn coral is listed as threatened by the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and critically endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List. This branching coral was named for his resemblance to stag horns, and has a habitat range of: the Caribbean, the southern Gulf of Mexico, Florida, and the Bahamas. Threats facing staghorn coral: sedimentation, disease, ocean acidification, and especially bleaching. All of these threats have been expedited due to human actions (such as pollution of land and oceans) which have accelerated the side effects of climate change.