The Coastal Emu is a genetically diverse subspecies of the common Emu, and with less than 50 individuals left in the wild, is considered critically endangered.

The Coastal Emu is a keystone species, playing a key role in the health and renewal of the ecosystem it inhabits by foraging on and spreading the seeds of the unique plants on which they depend.

The loss of the Coastal Emu would also mean the loss of many species of plants that rely on the Emu to propagate.