Mission Statement

"A United Nations report has said 30% of the world's reefs are severly damaged, and 60% could be lost by 2030." From USA Today February 22, 2006.

Americans buy some 80 percent of the live coral taken from reefs (more than 400,000 pieces a year); Despite improved aquarium technology and handling practices, an estimated 90 percent of some of the most popular coral species collected from reefs die before or soon after they reach the aquarium owner. From article "Coral Trade" http://news.fws.gov/coral.html

At Scientific Coral, our chosen mission is:

-To create and maintain a diverse coral reserve, a genetic bank, of hermatypic corals, permanently residing in closed environments completely independent of the oceans, as a future reserve against the decline of natural wild reefs.

-To grow and distribute as many varieties and sizes as possible of captive-bred corals that are attractive and free of nuisance organisms, to as many people as possible who can maintain them in a healthy ecosystem.

-To provide to aquarists an environmentally consciencious alternative choice to buying wildcaught corals. To provide a healthier, pest-free coral that has a far lower mortality rate for his/her tank and does not impact wild reefs negatively.

-To provide coral choices that are not currently available from wildcaught corals including a wide choice of sizes, combinations of corals on one rock, and rare and unusual corals that are typically in very short supply.

-To educate the consumer about the stressors that the natural ocean reefs are currently being exposed to, such as increasing water temperatures, and what, if anything, can be done to help.

-To educate the consumer about the advantages of captive-bred corals over wildcaught corals.

-To facilitate research in the biomedical uses of corals. Corals are chemical factories, producing powerfully unique substances to ward off their sessile encroaching neighbors. Such chemicals could become a precious pharmaceutical resource in the treatment of cancers and other diseases.

-To provide corals who spend their entire life cycle in closed ecosystems, independent of the oceans, where all of the parameters such as lighting, specific gravity, and temperature are provided to the consumer, to enhance the survivability of the coral.

-To create a happy workplace where everyone feels valuable contributing to our goal of reducing the pressure on wild reefs.

-We will donate 10% of our pretax profits to Non-profit organizations that benefit the environment. We wil also allow employees to spend 5% of their paid time on volunteer work.

Problems with wild-caught marinelife

We believe that there are many inherent problems with wildcaught corals, which negatively impact the coral reefs and the hobbyists tanks.

-Damage to the wild reefs when organisms are collected, whether by physical removal of the coral or the use of chemicals to temporarily stun fish, so that they can be collected.

-Up to 90% mortality rate of corals traveling from the reef to the hobbyists' aquarium

- Transferring many pests from the wild to aquariums that can overcome your healthy existing tankmates.

-Depleting certain species in localized areas of the reefs.

The advantages of farm raised livestock of for your aquarium are well documented.

Education about the stresses on natural reefs, and the advantages of buying captive-bred marinelife.

Is it projected that in this century, increasing global temperatures will continue to raise sea levels, resulting in many coral reefs being in deeper water. Some of these reefs will be too deep to sustain coral life, and some will die off as the light conditions and temperatures change.

Scientific Coral is dedicated to the preservation of our wild reefs through the propagation of captive bred corals. We strongly believe that in the near future, coral and other marine aquarium livestock should be supplied by captive breeders, rather than removed from the natural reefs. Nearly every other organism in the pet industry is captive bred. Dogs, cats, parrots, snakes, lizards, hamsters, gerbils, most freshwater fish, and nearly everything live you purchase in a pets store, are all farm-raised. We think its time that corals are added to that list and we are working hard to make it happen. I think we are very close.


"Despite improved aquarium technology and handling practices, an estimated 90 percent of some of the most popular coral species collected from reefs die before or soon after they reach the aquarium owner." US Fish and Wildlife Coral Trade Article.

This statistic is shocking and needs to change. We need to change this from within the industry before outside sources force it in a manner that may severly limit future importation of corals.

Please help us make this dream a reality by buying captive bred marine life when it is available. All of the money you contribute is reinvested in the company.

Thanks!

The Crew at Scientific Coral

This page last updated May 20, 2006