Coral reefs are some of the most beautiful organisms on Earth. With their mystifying shapes and unique blends of colors, they’re sought after by saltwater aquarium owners and suppliers alike. Unfortunately, the natural reefs are fragile and susceptible to damage from both climate change and human interference. As such, conservation methods are taking place to reduce the impact on the wild coral reefs and preserve them for generations to come. This is what coral aquaculture is and how it’s benefiting nature and our saltwater tanks’ ecosystems.
What Coral Aquaculture Does
Coral aquaculture is the process of cultivating and growing coral to conserve reef life. It involves extracting coral larva or pieces of living coral from a larger reef and placing them in a controlled environment where they can thrive. This process has minimal impact on the environment and allows more coral to be produced at once.
Coral aquaculture is also often used by coral suppliers to keep a more sustainable supply available for purchase. While it takes more time and commitment to aquaculture corals rather than simply cut them, this process allows them to grow future generations of colonies and preserve the environment.
The Benefits of Commercial Aquaculture
Though commercial aquaculture is a great way to maintain a steady supply of coral while caring for the wild reefs, these aren’t the only benefits to the process. In fact, corals grown in controlled environments can be adapted to handle the harsher conditions in an aquarium. It’s for this reason that cultured corals are often hardier and easier to care for than those transferred from the wild.
Because they’re more accustomed to the artificial tank lighting, these corals are also better at retaining their beautiful colors when transitioned to a new tank. This makes them more likely to survive through strenuous shipping procedures and arrive at a customer’s door intact.
If you’re looking for a chance to preserve some of these breath-taking specimens in your own home, reach out to World Wide Corals. Unlike many other coral suppliers—who ship coral frags as they’re harvested from the wild—our collection of saltwater corals is grown into new colonies before being separated. In selling these aquaculture corals, we aim to provide your saltwater tanks with durable and beautiful corals while helping to sustain the ocean reefs.
