NSU Oceanographic Center - Coral Reefs Research Guide: Coral Displays @ GHOC

Coral display on 3rd floor of GHOC. 

Confiscated Corals

In August of 2011, the National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI) received 22 pallets of rare and endangered corals. These corals were confiscated in July of 2010 by the U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Port of Tampa from a shipping container originating from the Solomon Islands. The corals were intended for international trade with an estimated value ranging from $500,000 to $1,000,000 USD. As a result of the coral's conservation status, the shipment violated several protection acts including the Endangered Species Act (protects federally-listed endangered and threatened species), the Lacey Act (prohibits trade of fish and wildlife that has been illegally taken, transported, or sold), and regulations set by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (ensures international trade in wild plant and animal specimens does not threaten their survival). The shipping container containing the corals was labeled with the names of several endangered species of corals which is what alerted U.S. Boarder Protection and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to their presence. 

Richard E. Dodge, Ph.D., dean emeritus of NSU's Oceanographic Center and executive director of NSU's NCRI, received the coral specimens as a donation from Customs and Boarder Patrol and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The corals are being used for research, education, and outreach. Many of the specimens are displayed throughout the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center (GHOC) to provide information on the economical, biological, and ecological importance of corals and coral reefs.