IUCN Red List of Ecosystems: Coral Reefs of Brazil

Beatrice Padovani-Ferreira, Camila Brasil Loura da Silveira, Jéssica Borba Q.dos Santos, Thales Jean Vidal, Ana Lídia Bertoldi Gaspar, Luísa V. M. de Vasconcelos Queiroz-Véras, Ágatha Naiara Ninow, Fernando Castro Cardoso, Guilherme O. Longo, Kelly Yumi Inagaki, Giovanna Destri, Tito Lotufo, César A. M. M. Cordeiro, Rodrigo Leão de Moura, Carlos Hackradt, Fabiana Hackradt, Carlos Eduardo L. Ferreira, Miguel Mies, Mariana Coxey, Thiago B. N. de Oliveira, Mauro Maida, Zelinda Leão, Ruy K. P. Kikuchi, João Lucas Leão Feitosa, Jorge Luiz Silva Nunes, Cláudio Sampaio, Bráulio Almeida Santos, Leonardo T. Messias, Ana Paula Leite Prates, Franz Smith, Mishal Gudka

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.