The marine life industry in Florida is defined as the harvest of live marine specimens (fish and
invertebrate species including plants, live rock and sand, and small “critters”) for commercial use,
primarily aquariums. This paper summarizes data collected on the industry since 1990, including
total landings, revenues, and trends over time. Regional analysis shows where the primary collecting
areas are located in Florida. Seasonal analysis shows when the majority of landings occur within the
year. Statistics on the number of participants by type (i.e., collector versus wholesaler) provide
insight into the size of the industry. Trends are evaluated in terms of changes across the 9-year
period from 1990 to 1998. In general, the number of licensed collectors has increased substantially,
landings of fish and animal invertebrates peaked in 1994, angelfish dominated the fish landings, live
rock dominated the invertebrate landings, and the average landings per trip have remained relatively
constant. (67pp.
