SEA LIFE Blackpool springs into action after coral seizure at airport. 6 July 2017 by Visit Blackpool Marine experts at SEA LIFE Blackpool came to the rescue after customs officials at Manchester Airport confiscated a large shipment of illegally imported coral. They faced a race against time to save nearly 200 live coral rock fragments discovered in 18 boxes being shipped into the UK. The delicate coral cuttings were each individually bagged and packed into 15 large boxes on a flight from Bali. Customs officials believe they are ‘farmed’ corals and were intended for legitimate sale to home aquarium enthusiasts, but some were missing essential CITES paperwork (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), which meant they could not be delivered. SEA LIFE centres were contacted as the officials looked to keep the hard corals alive. The Blackpool team was able to take more than 30 of the corals and has now rehomed them in a behind-the-scenes lab area at the popular Lancashire attraction. Matthew Titherington, general manager at SEA LIFE Blackpool, said his team had moved fast to help and to save the coral. “Some of them are endangered species, which is why they needed CITES approval. They would have had a total retail value of about £15,000, so someone has paid a hefty price for failing to get the proper licences.” He added: “We were just pleased we were able to act quickly, along with other SEA LIFE sites in Manchester, Birmingham and Weymouth to take the corals and give them a home.” Scott Blacker, head aquarist at SEA LIFE Blackpool, said: “They are very difficult to nurture and quite a lot had already suffered badly in the 18-hour journey from Bali “Happily, we can provide them with ideal water conditions and many have already begun to recover in a special nursery environment. We’ve been working to acclimatise them to the water here. And we were then able to slowly start to add the lights and the food that they need. “Our team will continue to monitor their condition closely until they complete a period of quarantine and recovery.” SEA LIFE Blackpool features a coral reef display and that could provide the confiscated corals with a new home once they are out of quarantine. The Blackpool aquarium, along with its sister SEA LIFE attractions across the UK and worldwide, works to highlight the threat to the world’s coral reefs from pollution and, particularly, global warming. SEA LIFE aquarists have visited the Maldives for two years running to help replenish lost coral reef, using special coral frames with cuttings attached. Matthew explained: “Coral reefs support about two thirds of the species living in our oceans and, for low-lying islands like the Maldives, they also form a vital barrier against the encroaching sea. “We will do our best to ensure that our unexpected windfall of corals is put to work to raise awareness of these important issues and encourage people to take simple measures to help the conservation effort.”