Live rock collection hurts reefs?

[hawkey992]

According to NOAA, the collection of life rock from reefs is extremely dangerous to wild reefs, I was unaware of this but since people are always trying to lay blame on the aquarium trade, I'm reluctant to believe it entirely. Does anyone know more on the subject?

 

[iron coral]

i don't know about every reef but i know that at some reefs live rock is only collected if it has been damaged during a storm, i.e. rocks that were broken off. there are some poorer countries that might actually damage a reef intentionally to get the rock to sell to eager hobbyists which can be a real danger to the oceans reefs and with the increasing ease to keep reef tanks then 20 yrs ago this can lead to negative consequences.

 

[greenbean36191]

The question is essentially how much rock are corals creating each year in collection zones and how does the amount of rock collected there compare? There's been no study on the subject as it relates to the hobby. It's often claimed that the rock is strictly rubble, but based on the size of the rocks, the life on them, and the volume of the trade I find it extremely hard to believe that.

 

[jjmcat]

I have a simple answer to this question.Make your own rock...

 

[RGBMatt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12298447#post12298447 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by greenbean36191
The question is essentially how much rock are corals creating each year in collection zones and how does the amount of rock collected there compare? There's been no study on the subject as it relates to the hobby. It's often claimed that the rock is strictly rubble, but based on the size of the rocks, the life on them, and the volume of the trade I find it extremely hard to believe that.

Not only that, but rubble is an important habitat in itself. Many of our fish live primarily in rubble zones, especially as juveniles. Removing live rock from these areas on a commercial scale is just as destructive as breaking it off the reef.

There's a good reason why harvesting live rock is banned in Hawaii and Florida - the reef simply doesn't grow fast enough for it to be sustainable.

 

[Radioheadx14]

or terrestrial mined lace rock...

 

[iron coral]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12362842#post12362842 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RGBMatt
There's a good reason why harvesting live rock is banned in Hawaii and Florida - the reef simply doesn't grow fast enough for it to be sustainable.

no its that Americans give a crap. had americans not given a rats a$$ about the environment there wouldn't be this legislation and people would be able to collect all they want. its just that some countries see that they have a respoinsibility to the animals around them and all too few countries take up that ideology.

 

[KADLETZ]

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1399315

 

[KADLETZ]

www.reefcheck.org

 

[RicksReefs]

kadletz, what was the point of that spam? your already in hot water with the mods and it looks like you want to get banned.

 

[bigfun]

I've often wondered if that is true, about this rock being damaged and harvested because of that. People will say anything to sell their product! The last LR I purchased was thru another reefer getting out of the hobby, so at least I'm not buying new stuff!

 

[klavestat]

We also need to consider the "ancillary effects" of live rock collection. Even if it isn't done on a live reef, there's bound to be damage to the local biosphere - not to mention the carbon footprint of flying rocks halfway around the earth. Better to make our own rocks. Checkout "aragocrete" and similar methods with portland cement.

 

[greenbean36191]

I'm not convinced that man-made aquacultured rock is really any more environmentally friendly than LR collection. The limestone to make the cement has to be quarried, which isn't a very environmentally friendly industry. In the states the quarries are usually terrestrial, so they have to clear a few acres of forest. In other countries though, the limestone is coming from the reefs, so really it's a no win. You either harvest the LR and use it directly or you use it to make cement to make artificial LR. In either case, the production of cement has a huge carbon footprint itself. I don't know how it compares shipping rock, but it's not insignificant.

Also, you have to consider the economic situation of the collectors. Yes, collecting rock for the hobby is damaging (probably), but if it were to stop, what would the collectors be doing instead? In a lot of places there aren't a whole lot of environmentally friendly options to make ends meet. When you consider what else these guys would likely be doing to make a living on the reef, collection of LR may not be that bad. They could be blast fishing, muro ami fishing, collecting the rock/ coral for construction, etc. They aren't just going to stop collecting rock and become investment bankers.

 

[ReefNOut]

I know a lot of live rock these days is farmed where companies will dump rock into the ocean and farm it after it has been seeded with life.

 

[DgenR8]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12754365#post12754365 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefNOut
I know a lot of live rock these days is farmed where companies will dump rock into the ocean and farm it after it has been seeded with life.

"A lot of live rock" is a relative term. I only know of two companies doing that, and both of them are in Florida.

 

[allauction]

I was under the assumption that all live rock harvested in U.S. waters is farmed rock? Has this changed in the last few years?

 

[RicksReefs]

no, it hasn't changed. but a good 90%+ of the rock in the trade is still pacific wild rock.

however, Walt Smith has gone a step further and offers man made live rock too.