“You cannot actually describe a coral reef; you have to have experienced it to fully appreciate it

— Ernst Haeckel, 1874

As early as 1874, Ernst Haeckel described the beauty of coral reefs as one of the natural wonders of the world. More than 150 years later, they remain among the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. Yet no aquarium can truly capture the beauty, complexity and ecological interactions of a living coral reef.

Today, coral reefs are under unprecedented pressure from climate change, pollution, overfishing and habitat degradation. At the same time, tens of millions of coral reef fishes continue to be collected from the wild each year for the international aquarium trade.

Despite almost a century of international trade, we still cannot answer some surprisingly simple questions:

• How many coral reef fishes are collected worldwide?
• Which species are affected?
• Where exactly are they collected?
• Which populations may be threatened?
• And perhaps most importantly, is the trade sustainable?

These questions are at the heart of Pro Coral Fish. They guide our scientific research and our efforts to improve the conservation of coral reef fishes through better trade monitoring and evidence-based decision-making.

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Why Pro Coral Fish?

The trade in marine ornamental fishes is almost a century old but has never been comprehensively monitored. It is valued at several billion US dollars annually. [1][2]

Almost all coral reef fishes sold for aquariums are still collected directly from the wild. Of the almost 3,000 coral reef fish species currently traded, only about 25 species are bred commercially, while captive breeding techniques for approximately 340 additional species remain under development. [3]

Through our research, we aim to improve our understanding of the international trade in coral reef fishes and identify the species and populations that may be most vulnerable. We believe that effective conservation begins with reliable information and transparent monitoring.

Existing systems already provide part of the solution. In Europe, the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) records imports of live animals, while the United States uses the Law Enforcement Management Information System (LEMIS). With relatively modest adaptations, these systems could provide the species-level information needed to improve transparency and conservation. Rather than creating an entirely new monitoring system, improving existing systems may offer one of the fastest and most practical ways to support coral reef fish conservation. [4][5]

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Why Now?

Climate change is placing coral reefs under increasing pressure.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global warming of 1.5°C could lead to a decline of 70–90% of the world’s coral reefs, while warming of 2°C could result in the loss of more than 99% of reef-building corals. [6]

Recent scientific assessments suggest that tropical coral reefs are already approaching—or, in some regions, have crossed—critical ecological thresholds. Coral reef fishes therefore face a dual challenge: the rapid degradation of their habitat and continued collection for international trade. Understanding and monitoring the aquarium trade is one of the few pressures that can be addressed directly through conservation policy. [7]

Protecting coral reef fishes ultimately depends on protecting the coral reefs they inhabit. At the same time, improving our understanding of the international aquarium trade is one of the most immediate and practical actions we can take to support their conservation.

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“How can we protect what we do not even measure?”

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References

[1] Biondo, M.V. & Burki, R.P. (2020). A Systematic Review of the Ornamental Fish Trade with Emphasis on Coral Reef Fishes – An Impossible Task. Animals, 10, 2014. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/11/2014

[2] Wood, E. Global Advances in Conservation and Management of Marine Ornamental Resources. Aquar. Sci. Conserv. 2001, 3, 65–77. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1011391700880

[3] Pouil, S.; Tlusty, M.F.; Rhyne, A.L.; Metian, M. Aquaculture of Marine Ornamental Fish: Overview of the Production Trends and the Role of Academia in Research Progress. Rev. Aquac. 2019, 12, 1–14. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/raq.12381

[4] Biondo, M.V. & Calado, R. (2019). Monitoring the trade in marine ornamental fishes through the European Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES): Challenges and possibilities. Marine Policy, 108, 103620. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0308597X19300193

[5] Biondo, M.V. & Calado, R. (2025). Enhancing wildlife trade monitoring in the European Union – No need to reinvent the wheel. Ecology and Evolution. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.72090

[6] IPCC (2018). Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report. https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/

[7] Global Tipping Points Report (2025). Positive Tipping Points for Nature, Climate and Society. https://global-tipping-points.org/positive-tipping-points/