Review of Trade in Ornamental Coral, Coral Products and Reef Associated Species to the United States

The United States is the world's largest importer of coral reef-associated species, with a market share of approximately 63% of global imports. Analysis of trade data from 2000 to 2009 reveals a five-fold increase in coral product imports and a steady annual import of roughly 15 million marine tropical fish. The report highlights the prevalence of destructive collection methods, such as cyanide use, and the overexploitation of specific species like the Banggai cardinalfish, seahorses, and giant clams. It argues that the U.S. should leverage its purchasing power to establish sustainability standards and improve data specificity to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems.

• The United States is the primary global consumer of coral reef-associated species, with a market share of 63% of global imports, and North America overall imports an average of two-thirds of all organisms in the marine ornamental trade.
• U.S. import records for coral products showed a five-fold increase between 2000 and 2009, with Corallium species being the most significant genus by volume, exceeding any other coral genus by more than two and a half times.
• Marine tropical fish imports to the U.S. remained relatively stable from 2005 to 2009, averaging approximately 15 million specimens annually, though a general downward trend was observed.
• The Coral Triangle—comprising Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, and Papua New Guinea—is the primary source of corals and reef-associated species for the U.S. market.
• Destructive collection practices, particularly the use of cyanide, cause high mortality rates; some estimates suggest 75% mortality within hours of collection, with further losses of 30% to 50% upon arrival at retail outlets.
• The Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) is considered endangered by the IUCN and has been reduced to approximately 10% of its historical abundance and range due to overexploitation for the aquarium trade.
• Seahorse trade is dominated by the demand for traditional Chinese medicine, with Hippocampus kuda being one of the most traded species; however, most imports are listed generically as "Hippocampus spp.", leading to underestimates of true trade volumes.
• The giant clam Tridacna gigas is considered extinct or virtually extinct in several countries, including Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Taiwan, due to overharvesting for food and the aquarium trade.
• Deep-sea black and gold corals are extremely long-lived, with some species living between 300 and 4,000 years, making them effectively nonrenewable resources in the context of commercial harvesting.
• Approximately 95% of all coral reef-associated species imported into the U.S. between 2005 and 2009 were sourced from the wild.

APA

Burns, A. G., V., C., C., A., A., L., A., B., & E, R. (2012). Review of Trade in Ornamental Coral, Coral Products and Reef Associated Species to the United States. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/701/9u300hn17s_WWF_Coral_Trade_Report_Final.pdf

Chicago

Burns, Anja G., Craig, V., Allan, C., Lyet, A., Brittain, A., and Richman, E. Review of Trade in Ornamental Coral, Coral Products and Reef Associated Species to the United States. WWF International, 2012. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/701/9u300hn17s_WWF_Coral_Trade_Report_Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Burns |first1=Anja G. |last2=V. |first2=Craig, |last3=C. |first3=Allan, |last4=A. |first4=Lyet, |last5=A. |first5=Brittain, |last6=E |first6=Richman, |title=Review of Trade in Ornamental Coral, Coral Products and Reef Associated Species to the United States |publisher=WWF International |date=November 2012 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/701/9u300hn17s_WWF_Coral_Trade_Report_Final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{burns2012review, author = {Burns, Anja G. and V., Craig, and C., Allan, and A., Lyet, and A., Brittain, and E, Richman,}, title = {{Review of Trade in Ornamental Coral, Coral Products and Reef Associated Species to the United States}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2012}, month = nov, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/701/9u300hn17s_WWF_Coral_Trade_Report_Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }