Confiscated Corals Find New Home at New York Aquarium After JFK Seizure

Illegal Coral Seizure at JFK

• 🚢 US Wildlife Service confiscated sea coral illegally shipped into the US through JFK Airport.
• 📦 The coral, originating from Indonesia, was found wrapped in plastic bags in poor water conditions, seized as contraband.

Aquarium's Rescue Mission

• 🌊 The New York Aquarium stepped in to save the endangered and vulnerable marine organisms.
• 🧑‍🔬 Marine biologist Aaron Brett and his team worked to rescue the coral, with 85% of the approximately 200 confiscated specimens surviving.
• ✨ The surviving corals have shown significant improvement, with noticeable changes in their colors and growth since arriving at the aquarium.

Value and Vulnerability of Coral

• 💰 Each of these bioluminescent corals could fetch about $400 in a pet store, indicating their likely destination was the aquarium trade.
• ⚠️ Living corals are extremely vulnerable, especially in the context of climate change, making their rescue and conservation critical.
• 🗓️ The 170 surviving corals are expected to be on display for the public at the aquarium by next month.