Corals and sponges are considered to be gold mine for secondary metabolites. In our hunt for novel bio-active natural compounds are we not destroying corals and sponges? For purifying one gram of a compound we require at least a Kg of sample and even then thousands of novel compounds are reported each year from these organisms. Does it sound alarming to you?
People are certainly selfish, to some extent, and few will give up their opportunities for achievements, even knowing the destruction brought about. Not only corals and sponges, but so many natural heritage is under immoderate exploitation. Consider it is for All Mankind's development. I think everyone should be more elaborate and considerate when we make necessary exploration of the world, but I don't think you can prevent them from trying to hunt for those interesting compounds.
There is much that we can do locally to protect coral reefs, by making sure there is a healthy fish community and that the water surrounding the reefs is clean. Well-protected reefs today typically have much healthier coral populations, and are more resilient
Don't you think funding agencies should scrutinize the project proposal in this regard before giving a "go ahead"?
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