Cantharellus coccolobae should be listed as Endangered under the criteria A3c as its population is going to reduce at least 50% in the next 100 years do to a reduction in AOO by sea level increase, urbanization and increase of hurricanes and flooding.

Cantharellus coccolobae is associated to Coccoloba and has salmon to red or reddish pink basidiomata, discoloring rapidly to pale pink. Hymenophore salmon orange with thick veins with hardly visible veins or nearly smooth (Kuo 2019). Records of Cantharellus cinnabarinus from Lesser Antilles belong to these species.
The combination of colors, habitat, host and distribution make this species unmistakable.

Cantharellus coccolobae inhabits the Caribbean coast ecosystems associated to Coccoloba.
Approximately subpopulations of this species are known from 4 countries (Buyck et al 2016). Although the species probably exist throughout the distribution of Coccoloba uvifera and C. diversifolia, their habitats are seriously threatened by the touristic activities. Additionally, climate change scenarios predict, the sea level will increase 1-2 m in the Caribbean in the next century with a concurrent 1,300 km2 coastal land area lost (Clark et al., 2015; Simpson 2017). In consequence this ecosystem is in sever risk.
Cantharellus coccolobae should be listed as Endangered under the criteria A3c as its population is going to reduce at least 50% in the next 100 years do to a reduction in AOO by sea level increase, urbanization and increase of hurricanes and flooding.

Caribbean area including Bahamas, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Yucatan, Central America, Venezuela, Guyanas, Antilles, and in the Pacific coast south of Mexico to Colombia.

Collected in eight localities in the protologue, from Guadaloupe (2), Martinique (2), Mexico (2), and United States (2). Probably in more localities where Coccoloba grows in the Caribeann. The species is restricted to the Caribbean coast and is an ectomycorhizal mushroom highly specific to Coccoloba. Its restricted habitat is severely threatened by global warming and sea level rise. In consequence it small population will decline.

Ectomycorrhizal fungi associated to Coccoloba swartzii, C. uvifera, C. diversifolia, in rocky slope bordering floodplain, in sandy soil on rocky roadside in coastal forest. It forms its fruitbodies mainly in August and September.

Apparently, the geographic distribution is wide because its Coccoloba hosts are present in Yucatán Peninsula, the Caribbean an Florida. However this habitat is rapidly transformed by touristic activities. Additionally, climate change scenarios predict, the sea level will increase 1-2 m in the Caribbean in the next century with a concurrent 1,300 km2 coastal land area lost (Clark et al., 2015; Simpson 2017). In consequence this ecosystem is in sever risk.

Some of the populations in Mexico are in protected areas Reserva de la Biosfera Ría Lagartos. Site protection and global warming mittigation are urgently needed.

Search form more localities of the species, and to evaluate the risk of the habitat caused by tourism (Uitzil 2018).

Edible in Yucatan, Mexico and Florida, USA

Buyck B, Moreau P-A, Courtecuisse R, Kong A, Roy M, Hofstetter V. 2016. Cantharellus coccolobae sp. nov. and Cantharellus garnieri, two tropical members of Cantharellus subg. cinnabarinus. Cryptogamie Mycologie 37: 391–403.
Clark PU, Church JA, Gregory JM, Payne AJ. 2015. Recent progress in understanding and projecting regional and global mean sea level change. Current Climate Change Reports 1: 224–246.
Kuo, M. (2019). Cantharellus coccolobae. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/cantharellus_coccolobae.html
Uitzil Colli MO. 2018. Micofagia: una potencial alternativa alimenticia en países tropicales. Accesed in September 24th, 2019 https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rbt/article/download/35562/36145?inline=1
Wild mushroom hunting. Accessed in September 24th, 2019 https://wildmushroomhunting.org/index.php?/topic/2707-new-chanterelle-species-named-cantharellus-coccolobae/
Simpson, M. C. (2017). Quantification and Magnitudeof Losses and Damages Resulting from the Impacts of Climate Change: Modelling the Transformational Impacts and Costs of Sea Level Rise in the Caribbean (Key Points andSummary for Policy Makers Document).