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Craig is temporarily a post-doctoral fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute who is looking for a permanent position. He spends most of his time balancing his overwhelming geekdom with normalcy so he can function in the real world. Luckily his wife likes his geekiness.

Peter Etnoyer is a Graduate Research Associate at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He studies deep corals and ocean fronts, and he loves to be on the water.

Kevin Zelnio is a Graduate Student Researcher at Penn State studying the ecology of hydrothermal vent and methane seep communities. He raises awareness of the plight of the spineless through folk music.

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It Doesn't Matter If I Kill Another Species...

Category: Conservation & Environment • Coral • Industry & Government
Posted on: June 20, 2007 7:47 AM, by CR McClain

if I look pretty. Whenever I travel, inevitably I come across a shop or two selling red coral jewelry. I know what the red coral means...pillaging of the oceans. My first thought however is who wheres this tacky stuff. Are there people who think this stuff is beautiful. Luckily, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species put the coral on a list of protected wildlife, meaning exporters will now have to prove that the coral was harvested without threatening the species' survival before they can sell it. Corralium is a slow growing deep-water species.

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But what if it's an antique?

What depressed me was tourist towns along the Java coast, where shop after shop had mounted sea turtle hanging on the wall for a small price. Nevermind that nobody could legally export it.

Posted by: Niobe | June 20, 2007 9:27 AM

I do jewelery work ( hey, a marine biologist and jeweler in training!) and I don't think I've ever used coral in my work.

Not for conservation reasons, so much as it never appealed. So much of the gem/stone trade is highly unethical, but I think most of my materials are safe, but no coral in my supplies. No bone, a very small amount of shell.

I admittedly don't know much about coral harvesting, so once I have some time this evening, you've given me food for an evening of reading up.

Posted by: nico | June 20, 2007 11:06 AM

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