# Nearly half of reef-building corals face elevated extinction risk

A new assessment published in Nature finds that roughly half of all reef-building coral species are at elevated relative risk of extinction, marking a sharp deterioration in their global conservation status. Corals underpin entire reef ecosystems that support a quarter of marine species and the livelihoods and food security of hundreds of millions of people. The findings strengthen the case for urgent cuts to greenhouse gas emissions and local threats such as pollution and overfishing.

**Importance:** 4/5

## Sources

### Science
- [Nature](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-11263-3) — 2026-10-15