Wellington's solitary coral  (Rhizopsammia wellingtoni)

Before 1982, Wellington's solitary coral was considered to be abundant at some sites. Then the El Niño event of 1982 and 1983 struck, which destroyed most colonies of this species, except for colonies at Cousins and Gordons Rocks. Yet since 2000, Wellington's solitary coral has not been found even around these two small islets, despite targeted searches. The dramatic loss of this species since the El Niño event suggests that this coral is particularly sensitive to changes to the temperature of the water in which they live, and hints at their vulnerability to the effects of global climate change (1).

The unique biodiversity of the Galápagos Islands and the surrounding waters is recognised and valued, and thus the region is protected by being designated a Marine Reserve and World Heritage Site (1). Wellington's solitary coral is also included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), meaning that any international trade in this species should be carefully regulated (2). Unfortunately, neither of these measures protects this Critically Endangered coral from the threats of natural, or man-induced, climate change.