When NOAA released its plans to add 20 coral species to the list of threatened species, the reef aquarium hobby took a hit. Not only does it mean our right to keep those 20 species, (many of which are popular aquarium corals) will be under the microscope, it adds public stigma to reef aquariums, making reefers appear, “like those people that want to keep endangered species.” Suddenly, we may appear more like the weird lady who has tigers in her backyard, or a chimp in her living room. In reality, reef aquarists are miniature versions of the staff seen at public aquariums, dedicated, smart, innovative and caring. More than a few of my friends in oceanic conservation don’t fully understand what keeps me, and millions of others, in a hobby that takes from Mother Nature. What they don’t know, is that dedicated reef aquarists understand coral biology, like no one else, and have helped pave the path, to not only a sustainable hobby, but re-populating threatened reefs. In 2010, I had the distinct honor of working with Ken Nedimyer, of the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF). In the Florida Keys, Ken is working to save planet Earth’s third largest barrier reef, by re-populating it with maricultured corals. It’s a slow and tedious process, and CRF uses massive underwater nurseries in the Caribbean, to grow species that are in stark decline. The Caribbean species that were on NOAA’s threatened list prior to the new ruling, are all species Ken focuses on, in his restoration efforts. 
As I swam along the tract of artificially created reef, surveying the intricate work done by CRF, a thought occurred to me. Why not tap into a network of aquarists, worldwide, to help contribute to this program. The mariculture systems used by CRF have some problems, which we can easily control in aquaria. A coral nursery in the ocean, cannot be protected from in climatic weather, (such as 2013’s severe drop in temperature throughout the south) hurricanes, or predatory species. Flamingo tongue snails, which are common throughout the Caribbean, would destroy any attempt to mariculture gorgonians, and the keys are home to numerous parrotfish, all of whom consume coral. It seems like a natural fit, use aquarists as an engine to restore the ocean, not destroy it. 
If granted a license from NOAA, to propagate corals needed to restore the Florida Keys barrier reef, the turn-out from interested aquarists could possibly be immense.… More:
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