Identifying threatened species in the marine environment poses much more of a challenge in comparison to the terrestrial environment. Collection of population trend and distribution data is logistically challenging for marine species, and few species, beyond those commercially exploited or highly charismatic, are studied in any detail. Many species in the marine ecosystem are rare by nature and are also highly cryptic, therefore are difficult to find, let alone study. While immensely important to reef biodiversity values, little is known of their roles in the ecosystem. With a range of anthropogenic effects including climate change, fishing, habitat degradation, and pollution all major threats to marine biodiversity, it is critical to identify which species are most vulnerable before they are lost. This study aims to identify which Australian shallow (<30m) reef species (including fish, invertebrate, algae, and coral) classify as threatened based on international (IUCN) and federal (EPBC) criteria and categories. Specific analyses will use long-term datasets from Reef Life Survey, the Australian Temperate Reef Collaboration, and AIMS Long-term Monitoring, focusing on abundance trend data and geographic distribution size. Allowing threatened reef species to be identified, an understanding of shared characteristics, and highlighting species which require the most urgent management attention.