IUCN Red List of Ecosystems: Coral Reefs of Brazil
Abstract
Brazil’s coral reefs are the only true known coral reefs in the South Atlantic and extend across approximately 3,000 km along the coast, from Parcel de Manuel Luís at 0°50’S to Esquecidos reef at 18°50’S. They present unique characteristics, including their distinct growth form, and harbor endemic species of coral, fish and invertebrates, supporting high levels of marine biodiversity. Representing 0.6% of the global coral reef extent, the region encompasses 5 coral reef ecoregions as defined by the MEOW approach (Spalding, 2007), which were further subdivided into 8 ecoregions for the purposes of this assessment. The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems assessment, based on biological data collected by seven monitoring programs between 2000 and 2025, spatial data, and observed (1985-2025) and projected (2026-2075) DHW data, found that Brazilian coral reef ecosystems within five out of the eight ecoregions are at risk of collapse, while three were assessed as Data Deficient. Risk was primarily driven by future climatic projections and restricted geographic distribution, although biotic indicators also showed concerning levels of degradation. These results highlight the urgent need for management and conservation efforts aimed at reducing local pressures and enhancing resilience to climate change, particularly in areas that support local communities and livelihoods.
Related
BibTeX
@misc{padovaniferreira2026iucn,
title = {{IUCN Red List of Ecosystems: Coral Reefs of Brazil}},
author = {Beatrice Padovani-Ferreira and Camila Brasil Loura da Silveira and Jéssica Borba Q.dos Santos and Thales Jean Vidal and Ana Lídia Bertoldi Gaspar and Luísa V. M. de Vasconcelos Queiroz-Véras and Ágatha Naiara Ninow and Fernando Castro Cardoso and Guilherme O. Longo and Kelly Yumi Inagaki and Giovanna Destri and Tito Lotufo and César A. M. M. Cordeiro and Rodrigo Leão de Moura and Carlos Hackradt and Fabiana Hackradt and Carlos Eduardo L. Ferreira and Miguel Mies and Mariana Coxey and Thiago B. N. de Oliveira and Mauro Maida and Zelinda Leão and Ruy K. P. Kikuchi and João Lucas Leão Feitosa and Jorge Luiz Silva Nunes and Cláudio Sampaio and Bráulio Almeida Santos and Leonardo T. Messias and Ana Paula Leite Prates and Franz Smith and Mishal Gudka},
howpublished = {EcoEvoRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.32942/x2x984},
url = {https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/15667/},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - IUCN Red List of Ecosystems: Coral Reefs of Brazil
AU - Beatrice Padovani-Ferreira
AU - Camila Brasil Loura da Silveira
AU - Jéssica Borba Q.dos Santos
AU - Thales Jean Vidal
AU - Ana Lídia Bertoldi Gaspar
AU - Luísa V. M. de Vasconcelos Queiroz-Véras
AU - Ágatha Naiara Ninow
AU - Fernando Castro Cardoso
AU - Guilherme O. Longo
AU - Kelly Yumi Inagaki
AU - Giovanna Destri
AU - Tito Lotufo
AU - César A. M. M. Cordeiro
AU - Rodrigo Leão de Moura
AU - Carlos Hackradt
AU - Fabiana Hackradt
AU - Carlos Eduardo L. Ferreira
AU - Miguel Mies
AU - Mariana Coxey
AU - Thiago B. N. de Oliveira
AU - Mauro Maida
AU - Zelinda Leão
AU - Ruy K. P. Kikuchi
AU - João Lucas Leão Feitosa
AU - Jorge Luiz Silva Nunes
AU - Cláudio Sampaio
AU - Bráulio Almeida Santos
AU - Leonardo T. Messias
AU - Ana Paula Leite Prates
AU - Franz Smith
AU - Mishal Gudka
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
PB - EcoEvoRxiv
DO - 10.32942/x2x984
UR - https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/15667/
AB - Brazil’s coral reefs are the only true known coral reefs in the South Atlantic and extend across approximately 3,000 km along the coast, from Parcel de Manuel Luís at 0°50’S to Esquecidos reef at 18°50’S. They present unique characteristics, including their distinct growth form, and harbor endemic species of coral, fish and invertebrates, supporting high levels of marine biodiversity. Representing 0.6% of the global coral reef extent, the region encompasses 5 coral reef ecoregions as defined by the MEOW approach (Spalding, 2007), which were further subdivided into 8 ecoregions for the purposes of this assessment. The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems assessment, based on biological data collected by seven monitoring programs between 2000 and 2025, spatial data, and observed (1985-2025) and projected (2026-2075) DHW data, found that Brazilian coral reef ecosystems within five out of the eight ecoregions are at risk of collapse, while three were assessed as Data Deficient. Risk was primarily driven by future climatic projections and restricted geographic distribution, although biotic indicators also showed concerning levels of degradation. These results highlight the urgent need for management and conservation efforts aimed at reducing local pressures and enhancing resilience to climate change, particularly in areas that support local communities and livelihoods.
ER -