DNA fingerprinting for taxonomic identification of processed precious corals

Precious coral species have been used to produce jewelry and ornaments since antiquity. Due to the high prices at which corals are traded, coral beds have been heavily fished. Hence, fishing and international trade regulations were put in place. However, poaching remains extensive and mislabeling of products is common. To this date, the control of precious coral exploitation and enforcement of trade rules have been largely impaired by the fact that species of processed coral skeletons can be extremely difficult to distinguish even for trained experts. To overcome these limitations, we developed methods to use DNA recovered from worked precious coral skeletons to identify their species. We evaluated purity and quantity of DNA extracted using five different techniques. Then, a minimally invasive sampling protocol was tested, which allowed genetic analysis without compromising the value of the worked coral objects.