There are coral suppliers in various parts of the tropics who export around the world. The majority of coral suppliers today are found in Indonesia (Bali, Jakarta, Java), but also Australia, Tonga, Vietnam, Fiji and the Solomon Islands.
In Bali, the first mariculture (marine culture farm) was started by Vincent Chalias, at Bali Aquarium, around 20 years ago. Many coral suppliers have copied this format, where an otherwise empty lagoon is converted into a coral growing sanctuary. The coral in these facilities are fragmented from broodstock colonies, which are carefully selected for their species, colour and growth form. These coral colonies are cut and glued to smaller disks, then tagged for species identification and grown out until they reach a size ready to export (typically 5-10cm). Mariculture farms bring other marine life to the area, as they inevitably create an artificial reef, as well as attract tourism and provide jobs for many locals. We consider this the most ethical and sustainable way for coral suppliers to export coral.
There are many coral suppliers and exporters in Australia. Because the Great Barrier Reef is so far offshore, mariculture is less of a viable option, so the farming of coral tends to be done at land based facilities. Wild corals are sustainably collected, under the careful restriction of the Australian government.
We do our best to import coral as little as possible, since everything has a carbon footprint. Our goal is to provide 100% aquaculture coral only within the next 10 years.