Photo courtesy of: ReefTools
82 Coral Species being considered as Endangered Species
A petition put into motion by an environmental group out of Arizona has requested federal protection for 8 Caribbean and Western Atlantic species, 9 corals in the Hawaiian Islands and 66 species from the Indo-Pacific. The Center for Biological Diversity's petition was accepted on February 10. This petition seems to be under serious consideration by the U.S. Federal Government. Claims from the group were that the National Marine Fisheries Services ignored their petition until a threat of lawsuit.
Currently the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are accepting comments to hear both commercial and scientific concerns. Marshall Meyers, CEO of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council has issued "A Call To Action!" She states "There may be some species that do need protection, but to list all of these corals demands serious science based, credible studies demonstrating that each of these species is endangered. Information and comments must be submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service by April 12, 2010.
It is critical that we pull together and express our concerns for endangered species and also express the financial hardship a blanket ban on 82 species would put on our industry. We need to stress that banning species purely because they are in a list would devastate us in already economically challenged times.
To Submit Comments, Data and Information
To adequately understand the importance of this, please take a moment to review the list of 82 species on the list:
1. Acanthastrea brevis
2. Acanthastrea hemprichii
3. Acanthastrea ishigakiensis
4. Acanthastrea regularis
5. Acropora aculeus
6. Acropora acuminate
7. Acropora aspera
8. Acropora dendrum
9. Acropora donei
10. Acropora globiceps
11. Acropora horrida
12. Acropora jacquelineae
13. Acropora listeri
14. Acropora lokani
15. Acropora microclados
16. Acropora palmerae
17. Acropora paniculata - Fuzzy Table Coral
18. Acropora pharaonis
19. Acropora polystoma
20. Acropora retusa
21. Acropora rudis
22. Acropora speciosa
23. Acropora striata
24. Acropora tenella
25. Acropora vaughani
26. Acropora verweyi
27. Agaricia lamarcki - Lamarck's Sheet Coral
28. Alveopora allingi
29. Alveopora fenestrate
30. Alveopora verrilliana
31. Anacropora puertogalerae
32. Anacropora spinosa
33. Astreopora cucullata
34. Barabattoia laddi
35. Caulastrea echinulata
36. Cyphastrea agassizi - Agassiz's Coral
37. Cyphastrea ocellina - Ocellated Coral
38. Dendrogyra cylindrus
39. Dichocoenia stokesii - Elliptical Star Coral
40. Euphyllia cristata
41. Euphyllia paraancora
42. Euphyllia paradivisa
43. Galaxea astreata
44. Heliopora coerulea
45. Isopora crateriformis
46. Isopora cuneata
47. Leptoseris incrustans
48. Leptoseris yabei
49. Millepora foveolata
50. Millepora tuberosa
51. Montastraea annularis - Boulder Star Coral
52. Montastraea faveolata - Mountainous Star Coral
53. Montastraea franksi
54. Montipora angulata
55. Montipora australiensis
56. Montipora calcarea
57. Montipora caliculata
58. Montipora dilatata - Hawaiian Reef Coral/Irregular Rice Coral
59. Montipora flabellata - Blue Rice Coral
60. Montipora lobulata
61. Montipora patula - Sandpaper Rice Coral/Spreading Coral/Ringed Rice Coral
62. Mycetophyllia ferox
63. Pachyseris rugosa
64. Pavona bipartite
65. Pavona cactus
66. Pavona decussate
67. Pavona diffluens
68. Pavona venosa
69. Pectinia alcicornis
70. Physogyra lichtensteini
71. Pocillopora danae
72. Pocillopora elegans
73. Porites horizontalata
74. Porites napopora
75. Porites nigrescens
76. Porites pukoensis
77. Psammocora stellata - Stellar Coral
78. Seriatopora aculeata
79. Turbinaria mesenterina
80. Turbinaria peltata
81. Turbinaria reniformis
82. Turbinaria stellula
Additional Information:
http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#submitComment?R=0900006480a90b1f
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/invertebrates/corals.htm
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/
http://www.coralmagazine-us.com/content/endangered-corals
Please Visit Coral Outlet for all your Saltwater Coral Reef Aquarium Needs.
