The announcement was made during Monaco Ocean Week, an event which brings experts and leaders from across the marine conservation community together to discuss challenges facing the world’s oceans.
The MSC Foundation’s support will enable the completion of the global assessment of the world’s coral species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The Global Coral Biodiversity Assessment project aims to deliver "concrete, actionable" restoration plans for coral reefs, as well as the threatened species populating them.
The project will identify the most threatened species of coral and areas of reef; prioritise conservation and restoration actions based on the threats they face; and report the contribution that conserving these ecosystems makes to achieving targets set out by the United Nations (UN).
Pierfrancesco Vago, chair of the MSC Foundation Executive Committee and executive chair of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, said: "As stewards of our planet, we have a responsibility to protect its precious ecosystems.
"Our new partnership with IUCN is a powerful commitment to conserve and restore threatened coral reefs, mangrove forests and seagrass beds."
