90-Day Finding on a Petition to List 44 Species of Corals as Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act

In 2012, the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned NOAA Fisheries to list 43 Alaska coral species and to designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act. The petition (PDF, 182 pages) asserted that several threats were impeding the survival and recovery of these species and warranted their protection under the ESA, including ocean warming, ocean acidification, commercial fishing, and oil spills.

Under ESA Section 4(b)(3) and 50 CFR 424.14, to the maximum extent practicable, NOAA Fisheries must issue an initial finding within 90 days as to whether a petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted.

In response to the petition for Alaska corals, NOAA Fisheries completed the required 90-day finding (78 FR 10601) and determined that the petition did not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing under the ESA was warranted.

Related Research

• Alaska Deep-Sea Corals and Sponge Research
• A Field Guide to Alaska Corals, NOAA Technical Memorandum
• NOAA Deep Sea Coral Data Portal

Conservation and Management

• Deep-Sea Coral Habitat
• North Pacific Fishery Management Council Habitat Protections
• Essential Fish Habitat in Alaska