MIAMI _ A visitor to the Florida Keys stole large pieces of federally protected coral from local waters during his stay in Key Largo, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
Christopher Curlee, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was issued a notice to appear in court for violating the Endangered Species Act after Fish and Wildlife officers said they caught him in possession of staghorn coral.
Curlee told officers he came to the Keys for the two-day lobster miniseason, which was to end Thursday night, said Fish and Wildlife spokesman Officer Bobby Dube.
Curlee could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Fish and Wildlife investigators were tipped off that someone had coral out on a balcony at the Landings of Largo condominium complex.
It had been put outside to dry out, Dube said in a news release.
This species is an Endangered Species Act-protected coral, making it a crime to possess.
Staghorn coral can form dense groups called "thickets" in very shallow water, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The coral provides an important habitat for other reef animals, especially fish.
The Fish and Wildlife commission said the coral found on the Key Largo balcony was taken in for genetic testing.
The Coral Trafficking Task Force should be able to determine which specific reef the staghorn coral came from, Dube said.
The task force is a partnership between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida International University.
Photos of the specimens found in Curlee's possession were sent to the task force, which identified the coral as staghorn coral, or Acropora Cervicornis.
