New regulations prohibit all commercial harvest of elkhorn and staghorn corals, including collection for import or export. The new set of laws comes as regulators try to curb continued degradation of the two coral species listed as threatened in 2006.

For boaters, anchoring or dragging gear on reefs with the corals present will be banned. All discharges of pollutants, runoff or contaminants that harm the coral species will also be banned.

"These corals were once the major reef builders in Florida and the Caribbean, but now more than 90 percent of their populations are lost," said Roy Crabtree, NOAA's Fisheries Service's southeast regional administrator. "That not only threatens their survival — it affects the entire ecosystem."

New regulations don’t prohibit scientific research and or restoration activities carried out by environmental agencies. The new regulations take effect on Nov. 21.

Read the complete article here: www2.tbo.com/content/2008/oct/29/noaa-expands-protection-threatened-reefs.