Galanthus number of species are on the IUCN Red List of threatened species, with the conservation status being "G. trojanus" as critically endangered, four species vulnerable, "G. nivalis" is near threatened and several species show decreasing populations. "G. panjutinii" is considered endangered. One of its five known sites, at Sochi, was destroyed by preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics. "Galanthus" species and cultivars are extremely popular as symbols of spring and are traded more than any other wild-source ornamental bulb genus. Millions of bulbs are exported annually from Turkey and Georgia. For instance export quotas for 2016 for "G. elwesii" are
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary including oil and gas extraction, anchoring on the reefs, and harvesting fish, corals and other invertebrates. With passage of the Marine Research and Sanctuaries Act in 1972, researchers began discussing the Flower Garden Banks as a candidate for designation as a National Marine Sanctuary. During the 1980s, recreational divers were also discovering the Flower Garden Banks. The Houston Underwater Club led a movement to have the banks officially designated as sanctuaries by submitting a formal letter of nomination in 1979. Due to a number of issues, eleven years passed before the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary was officially established.