Ecological Facts

1. The growing appetite for coral and other reef organisms has begun to take a toll on wild populations and rare marine ecosystems. 2,3,8
2. Coral reefs are deteriorating globally at alarming rates. Ten percent of the reefs have already been lost and sixty percent are threatened. Coral reefs provide a home for one quarter of all marine species. 1,2,7
3. The mortality rate of coral harvested for aquariums is close to one hundred percent. Many die from damage during collection or shipping while others perish through lack of skill or knowledge of the aquarist. 2,4,6,7,8
4. Ninety percent of the animals in the marine aquarium market are captured wild. Studies show that up to two-thirds of the fish were dead in six months. Twenty-seven percent died in collection, transit or storage in pet stores, the rest in home or public aquariums. 3,5
5. Cyanide is still being used to catch live fish. Cyanide not only poisons the fish, but also destroys their habitat, killing coral polyps and their symbiotic algae, as well as other small organisms necessary for healthy reefs. 3,7