Coral Farming Conservation

The Living Coral Reef exhibit at Deep Sea World shows the wonderful colourful diversity of strange and unusual creatures that are found in the world’s Coral Reefs.

As beatuful as these many species are, they are under threat by many different things:

• Land-based pollution.
• Over fishing.
• Lack of public awareness.
• Recreation overuse and misuse.
• Climate change causing coral bleaching and disease.

Thousands of fish, lobsters, sea turtles and other creatures live off the delicate reef structure. Coral reefs cover less than 1 percent of the ocean floor but support about 25 percent of all marine life.

The Importance of Coral Reefs

Coral Reefs protect shorelines from waves, helping prevent loss of life and property and protecting against erosion. Since they serve as habitat for fish and other marine species, they are vital to commercial fisheries and contribute to about 25 percent of the food catch for developing nations.

Scientists are still just learning about reefs potential benefits, including in the medical field.

One of the most famous results from reef research is AZT, a treatment for those infected with HIV. An analysis of the chemicals from a Caribbean sponge provided vital clues to make AZT. Reef-related research has also helped in the advancement of treatments for cardiovascular diseases, skin cancer and leukaemia and the use of bone grafting materials.

The benefits of coral reefs are also economic. A 2002 Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network report says reefs provide about £150 billion per year in goods and services to the world. In the Florida Keys alone, coral reefs create about £0.8 billion annually from tourism, such as Scuba Diving, hotels, restaurants and other businesses.

The largest coral reef in the world is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and the second largest is off the coast of Belize in Central America.

The Aquarium Trade also plays a major role in the decline and dangers threatening the Coral Reefs of the world.

The figures below from the Marine Aquarium Council show the extent  of the trade in maine creatures:

Over 20 million Fish from around 1500 species, a further 10 million Molluscs, shrimps and anemones from around 500 species and up to 12 million living Corals, all add up to an international market worth £200 million.

To help reduce and help to preserve  wild coral reefs Deep Sea World is displaying corals which have all been reproduced in Captivity using various propagating techniques and also developing new ways to reproduce corals working along with other UK public Aquariums and also hobbyists who are also interested in helping to protect the Coral reefs.

Deep Sea World is actively involved with  a hobbyist club “The Scottish Reefers” www.scottishreefers.org.uk. Most of the corals on display were origionally donated by members of the club. Deep Sea World have also set up a Coral farm to produce more live coral that will be used in some of our exhibits and also swapped with the club members and also other public aquariums so we can research propagating techniques with many more species and also work with the more difficult species of living coral.