Invasion Beyond the Coast: Conservation Through Responsible Reef Keeping

For the last two weeks, we have discussed the potential impact of invasive species that threaten to undermine the delicate ecological balance off the Eastern coast of the United States. Luckily, scientists have discovered this problem and are taking action to correct it.

But what can you, as an aquarist, do to help?

The easiest thing to do is to not release any organisms back into the wild. Even if the species you are releasing is indigenous to the area, the fish may carry diseases that can wipe out a native population. At the very least, your fish has become accustom to not working for food and will most likely starve if it needs to hunt again.

A more proactive approach is to join a local conservation group, such as reef.org or SCCAT.com. These groups not only help to monitor the current state of invasion, but also assist in the cleanup process.

Thank you for joining us on this 3 week journey of discovery and conservation. Through responsible reef keeping, we can maintain wild populations and save the natural balance.

Invasion Beyond the Coast: Threats to Biodiversity

Last week, we introduced a growing problem off the shores of the eastern United States and organizations looking to solve this problem. In this installment of Invasion Beyond the Coast, we will look at what makes a species invasive and at the species assaulting our coastline.

"Alien species means," according to The National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC), "with respect to a particular ecosystem, any species, including its seeds, eggs, spores, or other biological material capable of propagating that species, that is not native to that ecosystem.”

Because these non-native species often have no competition or predators, their population grows unchecked. They consume food and territory from native species and may also carry diseases of which the native population has no immunity.

This is when the NISIC classifies them as an "invasive species," which means “an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.”

You might ask yourself how a species can cause economic harm.

Imagine if a species of crab was introduced into the waters off the Atlantic coast. It competes with lobsters for food and territory so much so, that the lobster industry goes under.

Some people might say there is no way for an invasive species to affect an ecosystem like this. But take the Caulerpa taxifolia, for example. This marine algae has decimated many parts of the Mediterranean Sea. Recently, groups like the Southern California Caulerpa Action Team (SCCAT) have taken up the cause to make sure this weed doesn't get a foothold in California waters.

This project has cost $8.3 million to date.

Today, Atlantic natives face threats from fish around the world. These fish include: Emperor Angel (Pomacanthus imperator), 5 other species of Angelfish (Pomacanthus spp.), Orbicular Batfish (Platax orbicularis), Lionfish (Pterois volitans), 3 varieties of Sailfin Tangs (Zebrasoma spp.), Raccoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula), yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens), Orangespine Unicornfish (Naso lituratus), and Morrish Idol (Zanclus cornutus).

These animals are native to Indo-West Pacific or Red Sea, but are in the Atlantic most often due to inexperienced aquarists who can no longer care for their animals. Although these animals are beautiful and a treat to see in the wild, this is not where they belong.

For information on how you can help, visit REEF.org.

Be sure to catch the final installment of Invasive Beyond the Coast, where we will discuss the how the average aquarist can make an impact on biodiversity.

Invasion Beyond the Coast: An Ecosystem in Danger

In recent news, scientists have become increasingly concerned over the presence of 16 non-native marine fish species of the eastern coast of the United States. In this, the first of the three part series Invasion Beyond the Coast, we will look at the groups that are leading the charge to classify this threat to our oceans.

Researchers believe that the presence of the fish, which include species of Angelfish, Tangs, Lionfish, is most likely due to hobbyists releasing them into the wild. These fish have been tracked by REEF.org for many years now. One of the goals of reef.org is to catalog the population size and location of each of the non-native species. This data, along with research from many other institutions including the National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC), will be used to gauge the impact of these aquatic aliens on the natural habitats.

The NISIC aquatic division usually tracks freshwater species, but recently has become responsible for marine life as well. This government entity was created in 1999 under Executive Order 13112 by President Clinton. Their mission is to track and catalog all non-native and invasive species in the United States. With this data they gauge the economic and environmental impacts and devise solutions.

For more information on how you can help, visit REEF.org.

Be sure to catch the next installment of Invasive Beyond the Coast, where we will discuss the past and current threats to biodiversity.

Free Presentation in Boulder, CO

With an even greater biodiversity than rainforests, coral reefs provide spawning, nursery, refuge, and feeding areas for more than one million marine species. But this breathtakingly beautiful ecosystem now faces a potentially lethal combination of threats. Chronic stresses such as over-fishing, pollution, and coastal development have decreased coral reefs’ ability to withstand the impacts of a changing climate and acidifying oceans. Join Dr. Rod Fujita for an engaging discussion of the critical issues surrounding coral reef conservation and learn how you can take action to save this vibrant and endangered ecosystem.

Dr. Fujita is a Board Member of The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL), and a senior scientist with Environmental Defense. He played a pivotal role in creating the first marine reserves protecting U.S. coral reefs in the Florida Keys, and in the establishment of the world’s first marine reserve network in California’s Channel Islands. Dr. Fujita has also been a leading advocate for actions to slow down and stop global warming, to end overfishing and habitat damage, and to reduce ocean pollution. He is a recipient of the Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation and is the author of dozens of scientific papers, popular articles, and the well-received book Heal the Ocean (New Society Publishers).

Dr. Rod Fujita, Scientist/Author
Free Presentation - CORAL REEFS: IN HOT WATER
5:30 to 7:00 PM
Boulder Public Library Auditorium
1000 Canyon Boulevard, Boulder

Source: The Coral Reef Alliance

Marine Aquarist Courses Online pt. 2

Back in January, we posted an announcement about Marine Aquarist Courses Online (or MACO for short). Well, the time has come for an update (hold your ooo's and ahhh's until I'm finished, please - lol).

Marine Aquarist Courses Online (MACO) has a course on Fish Husbandry starting on April 6. The course includes 6 weeks of full instruction. MACO courses are internet based and feature a 2-hour chat session each week. Live interactive chats for the Fish Husbandry courses will be held at 6 PM PST (9 PM EST) on Sundays. Visit AquaristCourses.org and click on Fish Husbandry for more info.

This class will introduce you into the world of marine fish husbandry, from basic biology and taxonomy, to principles and procedures used to insure that these animals live out long and healthy lives under your care. You'll learn how to select the proper equipment, and be guided on how to set up your system in a way that suits the fish that you've chosen and the environment that you would like to emulate.

Most importantly, you'll learn to avoid all the mistakes that are so easily made when learning to keep these amazing animals. The class will cover the tendencies and idiosyncrasies of various families of marine fish, how they interact with each other, and how to keep them together without experiencing the problems that plague so many aquarists. You'll learn how to manage and avoid diseases that commonly infect and often kill so many captive marine fish. You'll learn what you must do, and as importantly, what you must not do in order to excel as a marine fish keeper.

The following is an outline of the course's topics:

• Responsibilities of the Marine Aquarist
  The life in our hands Give something back
• Basic Taxonomy
  What is a fish? What is a Genus? What is a species? Why does it matter?
• Basic Biology
  Basic Anatomy Do fish sleep? Hermaphroditism
• Habitats
  Where do our fish come from? Does it matter? What is a microhabitat? What is a biotope?
• Tank Selection & Setup
  How big? Glass or Acrylic? Plywood? To skim or not to skim? What kind of filter? Do I need live rock? Lighting
• Quarantine Procedure
  What is quarantine? Why do I have to quarantine? Does quarantine stress the fish more than just placing it in my tank? Is it worth the extra expense?
• Stocking order & Compatibility
  What do I introduce into my tank first, and why? Can I keep fish of the same species together? Can I keep fish x with fish y? Aggression Management/Aggressive tanks
• Disease management
  Prevention and treatment of common fish diseases Nutrition
• Family Specific Discussions
  Angelfish Triggerfish Groupers Wrasses, etc
• Species Specific Discussions
  Open discussion on suitable species and compatibility What are the most desirable species for a reef?
• Fishes to avoid
  Fishes that shouldn't be purchased, and maybe shouldn't even be available!
• Invert Compatibility
  Can I keep this fish in my reef/this invert with my fish? Angels in the reef
• Nanos
  What is a nano? What makes it different? What fish can I keep in my nano? Are nanos harder to keep?

World's Deepest Coral Reef Display

California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park announced it is constructing what will be the deepest coral reef display in the world.

At 25 feet deep at its max, this aquarium dwarfs the competition.

In preparation for the opening of the new exhibit, the Academy is currently growing corals in its temporary facility at 875 Howard Street. In one tank, which measures 18 feet deep, Academy biologists are growing corals on adjustable racks to determine which species grow best at different depths.

As most of you know, coral need light to live and grow. But light intensity diminishes quickly in water as depth increases. To counteract this challenge, the Academy is installing 120 metal halide lights over the tank. This will help replicate the energy of the tropical sun corals need for survival.

The display is set to open September 27, 2008. For more information about the aquarium and the Academy, click here.

"Trash Island" discovered in the Pacific Ocean

It has been described as the world's largest rubbish dump, or the Pacific plastic soup, and it is starting to alarm scientists.

It is a vast area of plastic debris and other flotsam drifting in the northern Pacific Ocean, held there by swirling ocean currents.

Discovered in 1997 by American sailor Charles Moore, what is also called the great Pacific garbage patch is now alarming some with its ever-growing size and possible impact on human health.

The "patch" is in fact two massive, linked areas of circulating rubbish, says Dr Marcus Eriksen, research director of the US-based Algalita Marine Research Foundation, founded by Moore.

Although the boundaries change, it stretches from about 500 nautical miles off the coast of California, across the northern Pacific to near the coast of Japan.

The islands of Hawaii are placed almost in the middle, so piles of plastic regularly wash up on some beaches there.

"The original idea that people had was that it was an island of plastic garbage that you could almost walk on. It is not quite like that. It is almost like a plastic soup," Dr Eriksen says.

"It is endless for an area that is maybe twice the size as continental United States," he says.

The concentration of floating plastic debris just beneath the ocean's surface is the product of underwater currents, which conspire to bring together all the junk that accumulates in the Pacific Ocean.

Moore, an oceanographer who has made the study of the patch his full-time occupation, believes there is about 100 million tonnes of plastic circulating in the northern Pacific - or about 2.5 per cent of all plastic items made since 1950.

About 20 per cent of the junk is thought to come from marine craft, while the rest originates from countries around the Pacific like Mexico and China.

Australia plays its part too, he says.

The waste forms in what are called tropical gyres - areas where the oceans slowly circulate due to extreme high pressure systems and where there is little wind.

The garbage in the patch circulates around the North Pacific Gyre, the world's largest.

A lack of big fish and light winds mean it's an area of the Pacific less travelled by fishing boats and yachts.

Moore says he discovered the floating mass of rubbish by chance, after steering his catamaran into the gyre while returning home from a yacht race.

Historically, flotsam in the gyres has biodegraded. But modern plastics do not break down like other oceanic debris, meaning objects half a century old have been found in the North Pacific Gyre.

Instead the plastic slowly photodegrades, becoming brittle and disintegrating into smaller and smaller pieces which enter the food chain and end up in the stomachs of birds and other animals.

Because the plastic is translucent and lies just beneath the surface, it is apparently undetectable by satellite photos.

"It is not like going to a parking lot after a rugby match. It is not like a landfill," he says.

"The material is breaking down continually. It is photodegrading all the time. It is what I call a kaleidoscope or an alphabet soup. You won't see it from a satellite shot of the ocean. You only see it from the bows of ships," he says.

If the waste is to be controlled people must stop using unnecessary disposable plastics, otherwise it is set to double in size during the next 10 years, Moore warns.

Dr Eriksen said the small plastic particles acted like a sponge to trap many dangerous man-made chemicals that found their way into the ocean, like hydrocarbons and DDT.

"What goes into the ocean goes into these animals and onto your dinner plate, It is that simple," Dr Eriksen said.

Larger pieces of plastic are also a threat to birds, which mistake them for food. Dr Eriksen said he has found syringes, cigarette lighters and tooth brushes from the patch inside sea bird carcases.

Professor David Karl, an oceanographer from the University of Hawaii, said the garbage patch represented a new habitat, and more studies were needed to find out what impact it was having on the ocean's eco-system.

— Source: Australian Associated Press

Swimmers' Sunscreen Killing Off Coral

The sunscreen that you dutifully slather on before a swim on the beach may be protecting your body—but a new study finds that the chemicals are also killing coral reefs worldwide.

Four commonly found sunscreen ingredients can awaken dormant viruses in the symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae that live inside reef-building coral species.

The chemicals cause the viruses to replicate until their algae hosts explode, spilling viruses into the surrounding seawater, where they can infect neighboring coral communities.

Zooxanthellae provide coral with food energy through photosynthesis and contribute to the organisms' vibrant color. Without them, the coral "bleaches"—turns white—and dies.

"The algae that live in the coral tissue and feed these animals explode or are just released by the tissue, thus leaving naked the skeleton of the coral," said study leader Roberto Danovaro of the Polytechnic University of Marche in Italy.

The researchers estimate that 4,000 to 6,000 metric tons of sunscreen wash off swimmers annually in oceans worldwide, and that up to 10 percent of coral reefs are threatened by sunscreen-induced bleaching.

The study appeared online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Activated Viruses

Danovaro and his team studied the effects of sunscreen exposure on coral samples from reefs in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.

Even low levels of sunscreen, at or below the typical amount used by swimmers, could activate the algae viruses and completely bleach coral in just four days, the results showed.

Seawater surrounding coral exposed to sunscreen contained up to 15 times more viruses than unexposed samples.

Several brands of popular sunscreens were tested and all had four ingredients in common: paraben, cinnamate, benzophenone, and a camphor derivative.

Dangerous Dose

Robert van Woesik, a coral expert at the Florida Institute of Technology, was not involved in the research.

He questions whether conditions in the study accurately reflect those found in nature.

For example, the coral samples were exposed to sunscreen while in plastic bags to avoid contaminating the reefs. But van Woesik worries this prevented dilution of the chemicals through natural water circulation.

"Under normal situations on a coral reef, corals would not be subjected to these high concentrations because of rapid dilution," van Woesik said.

But according to study author Danovaro, the effect is not dose dependent—so coral's exposure to a very small dose of sunscreen is just as dangerous as a high exposure.

"It is more like on-off," he said. "Once the viral epidemic is started, it is not a problem of toxicity."

Alarming Trend

Rebecca Vega Thurber, a marine virus and coral researcher at San Diego State University in California, said the new results are further evidence of an alarming trend.

"Other [human-induced] factors such as coastal pollution, overfishing, and sedimentation all contribute to coral reef habitat degradation, and this work continues in that vein," said Vega Thurber, who was also not involved in the research.

(Related news: "Coral Reefs Vanishing Faster Than Rain Forests" [August 7, 2007].)

"But before we ban sunscreens, we must first determine if local ambient concentrations of sunscreens are positively correlated with coral bleaching events."

Danovaro says banning sunscreen won't be necessary, and points out two simple things swimmers can do to reduce their impact on coral: Use sunscreens with physical filters, which reflect instead of absorb ultraviolet radiation; and use eco-friendly chemical sunscreens.

(Read about other ways you can protect the oceans.)

Australian researchers are also working to develop a sunscreen based on a natural ultraviolet-blocking compound found in coral.

— Source: National Geographic

Responsible Reef Keeping

As promised in my post last week on $150 Yellow Tangs, I am going to start bringing you the, the reader, the latest in Marine Ornamental Aquaculture.

This week, I would like to bring to your attention a website that has an ever growing library of information on this subject, MarineBreeder.org.

Coming up on it first anniversary, this site already boasts over 500 members dedicated to the "Art & Science" of breeding fish and inverts.

In the forums you will find over 16,500 articles posted on many common aquarium species.

For a bit of freindly competition check out the 2008 Breeder's Challenge. This years choice of fish, the Bangaii Cardinal, is especially important because:

"We can anticipate the Bangaii Cardinalfish to be deservingly listed with CITES under Appendix II protection." Matt Pedersen (mwp) MOFIB

CITES Appendix II protection prohibits the import of a species into the United States. This is why it is important to promote research into sustainable breeding programs.

For more information on proper breeding practices visit their Forum.

For broodstock you can visit the Marketplace.

If you can't find the species you want, then start with something close and experiment. You might just be on the cutting edge of Aquaculture.

10th Annual Midwest Marine Conference

2008 marks the 10^th year the Marinelife Aquarium Society of Michigan will host the annual Midwest Marine Conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

To celebrate this milestone, MASM has arranged for several aquarium hobby experts—including three members of Team Marine Depot—to speak at the event: Eric Borneman, Dr. Frank Marini and Steven Pro will each be in attendance, along with Dr. Bruce Carlson of the Georgia Aquarium, the largest aquarium in the world!

The conference will convene on March 15 at Weber’s Inn and host several intriguing speaking sessions. Sessions are approximately one hour followed by 15 minutes of Q&A with each distinguished speaker.

Registration will open at 8 AM and the first speaking session will kick off at 9 AM. Lunch will be served after the second speaker wraps up, followed by two more presentations. The “largest marine aquaria raffle in the state” will close out the festivities and the conference will conclude at 4 PM.

If you’re interested in attending the Midwest Marine Conference, click here to purchase your ticket(s) while supplies last. If you’re interested in joining the Marine Depot forums, click here.

Marine Aquarist Courses Online

Marine Aquarist Courses Online (MACO) is proud to be offering a new series of unique courses designed with the hobbyist in mind. Take a look at the website to find more information on the following courses:

• Reef Microbiology - The course is set up to cover the current scientific literature regarding nutrient cycling and the biology of bacteria in our marine aquaria. The course starts next week!
• Reef Chemistry - The chemistry course starts at the beginning and covers the basics about what you need to know to maintain a healthy reef in regards to marine chemistry. It is designed to start with the basics of chemistry and highlight exactly what you need to know. This course starts the week of January 14th and lasts for 6 weeks.
• Fish Husbandry - Set to begin on April 2, 2008. This course covers fish biology, habitat, and maintenance in the aquarium. A definite course for anyone who loves aquarium fishes and wants to know more.

MACO courses are completed entirely online. Each course consists of open access to the website and reading materials, a forum specifically to interact with the instructor and participants at any time, and a weekly chat session (each week's transcript will be posted if you can't make the chat). You will retain access to the website and materials forever once you register for the course.

Hop over and look over the website for an example course and more registration details.

See you in class!

A love letter from FAMA

Clay Jackson’s editor’s note in the February 2008 issue of FAMA has got us feeling all sentimental.

Really a love letter to the hobby itself, Clay relays his experiences participating in a recent Southern California Marine Aquarium Society meeting at an IHOP in Santa Ana, California. Several Marine Depot staffers were in attendance that evening as well.

What really struck us about Jackson’s article was his sincerity. He specifically outlines how FAMA intends to continue supporting the aquarium hobbyist. The following is an excerpt from his note, which you can read in its entirety here.

1. Attending important national shows (ACA, IMAC, MACNA, etc.).
   
2. Looking for opportunities to attend local shows and local society meetings whenever possible.
   
3. Continuing a public discourse with hobbyists, wherever they might be, and asking them what they’d like to see in these pages.

Jackson invites club members to contact him directly if they want to share any interesting goings-on within their club or to pitch story ideas. This kind of one-to-one relationship with readers/reefers strengthens the hobby community as a whole and brings us all closer together.

We feel a bit like Seth in Superbad: we just wanna go to the rooftops and scream how much we love FAMA.

Too bad Human Resources nixed that idea.

It’s beginning to look a lot like fishmas

On December 2, the marketing guys and I met at the Aquarium of the Pacific for the Holiday Treats for the Animals event.

The animals all received special holiday treats, there were arts & crafts for the kids along with an elf magician, festive carolers, story-telling and even (artificial) snow!

If you’re not from SoCal, you may be unfamiliar with the Aquarium of the Pacific. Thank goodness for Wikipedia:

The aquarium was designed as a joint venture of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassanbaum and Esherick, Homsey, Dodge and Davis. Construction began in 1995 and the 156,735 square foot (14,560 m³) aquarium opened in 1998. Since the aquarium is built on a site created through land reclamation in an area prone to earthquakes the facility is built on top of 1,800 cement pilings which each extend 85 feet into the ground and are surrounded by gravel. The facility filters about 900,000 gallons (3.4 million liters) of salt water per hour, the capacity of all the exhibits totals about 1,100,000 gallons (4.2 million liters). Courtesy of the Aquarium of the Pacific website

As you enter the aquarium, your eyes are immediately drawn to the life-sized model blue whale suspended from the building’s vaulted ceiling. The literature they supply you with informs you that the model whale is a female.

I wondered if she had a name.

Venturing further into the Great Hall of the Pacific, there is a windowed pane to your right that provides a sneak-peek at a later exhibit, the Tropical Pacific Gallery.

It was here that the marketing dudes and I realized we had finally become true fish geeks. Peering into the Tropical Pacific Preview, we excitedly exchanged glances before shouting out the names of every fish we could identify.

“Three Spot Damselfish!” “Blue-Green Chromis!” “Foxface Rabbitfish!”

I don’t think the three of us had ever relished in our own nerdiness so much.

Just ahead, in front of the Blue Cavern—modeled after a kelp forest along the north-eastern coast of Catalina Island—was the holiday penguin show … ending.

Bummer.

At least we got to snap a few photos of the little guys before they waddled away.

Outside in Explorers Cove is an enclosure dubbed the Lorikeet Forest. Lorikeets are small to medium-sized arboreal parrots with beautiful plumage and playful personalities.

The “Lorikeets Hunger Meter” outside the enclosure indicated our feathered friends were indeed hungry, so we each bought a cup of nectar and entered the habitat.

Ignoring the stop sign shaped “We Bite” signpost, Brian began hopping from one leg to the other, mirroring the Lorikeet in front of him. Jeff and I were pretty amused with Brian and the bird’s stomping of the yard, but the volunteer on duty was not so impressed. She warned us that the bird was protecting its nest and at any moment would claw Brian’s face.

We decided it was time to move on.

The Shark Lagoon is easily one of the more popular areas of the Aquarium of the Pacific. It was here we learned that sharks are one of the ocean’s most mysterious and misunderstood predators. While that was fascinating, we were a bit more intrigued by the aquarium’s “two finger” method.

In select exhibits, like the Shark Lagoon and Ray Touchpool, you can freely touch the animals under the guise that you utilize the “two finger” method. This, of course, is for the safety of the animals; hundreds of visitors grabbing and scratching at their delicate skin would otherwise take its toll.

I believe our befuddlement was regarding how the aquarium staff came to the determination that two fingers, as opposed to say, one or three, would spare the animals from human harm.

Best to leave those decisions to the experts, I suppose.

“Scuba Santa” made his special guest appearance just as we were making our way into the Tropical Pacific Gallery. Donning a Santa-inspired wetsuit, the diver swam around, pausing occasionally to pose for pictures as he told kids of all ages who his favorite aquarium inhabitants are.

All in all, it was a great aquarist outing and we offer our sincere thanks to the Aquarium of the Pacific for inviting us out.

If you’re interested in visiting the Aquarium of the Pacific, click here to plan your visit.

Warming seas, disease take toll on coral reefs

John Bruno isn't attending the U.N. climate talks being held in Bali, Indonesia, but he does have some advice for any delegates looking to take in the resort's famed reefs: enjoy it now, because if sea temperatures continue to rise, expect to see more — and more severe — disease outbreaks that wipe out corals.

Bruno has the credentials to back up his advice. A marine biologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he co-authored two 2007 studies on rapid coral decline and on a link between coral disease and global warming.

One study found that coral coverage in the Indo-Pacific — an area stretching from Indonesia’s Sumatra island to French Polynesia — dropped 20 percent in the past two decades. That rate is much higher than Bruno's team had expected.

— Read more on MSNBC...

Researchers find new deep water coral

HONOLULU - Researchers have discovered what they believe is a new deep water coral and sponge beds found several thousands of feet below the ocean surface, officials said Monday.

The a lemon-yellow bamboo coral tree and a giant sponge were discovered last month in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument by the Pisces V submersible operated by the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL).

Samples of the corals and sponges were collected for taxonomic identification and DNA analysis. They were found in depth from 3,000 to 6,000 feet.

Christopher Kelley, the principal investigator of the project, said the monument is potentially protecting so many new species and new records of species that many will not be revealed for decades to come.

The vast national monument, nearly 100 times larger than Yosemite National Park, was created by President Bush last year out of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, which stretch out 1,000 miles from the main Hawaiian Islands.

"Most of the monument is below scuba diving depths," said Randy Kosaki, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research coordinator for the monument. "It's important to find ways to explore these deep water ecosystems where the inhabitants are virtually unknown."

Researchers returned from their 22-day expedition on Nov. 19.

HURL was established by NOAA and the University of Hawaii to study deep water marine processes in the Pacific Ocean.

— Courtesy of Yahoo! News

Coral reef sustainability on forum agenda

The University of Queensland is hosting an international forum this week to develop policies to sustain the world's coral reefs.

The forum, which is sponsored by the Coral Reef Targeted Research Program, is expected to attract leading scientists and more than 50 postgraduate and postdoctoral students from 20 countries.

Professor Roberto Iglesias-Prieto from the National University of Mexico says while the future of the planet's reefs is bleak, Australian reefs are among the healthiest he has seen.

"The reefs in the Great Barrier Reef are in much better shape because the threats, the direct human activities are not necessarily damaging the reef right now," he said.

"But the global threats are evident here as in Mexico, climate change is already been seen in the Great Barrier Reef and of course all over the world."

— Courtesy of Yahoo! News

Saltwater, Freshwater and Pond Glossary

Even though my family's kept freshwater tanks as long as I can remember, I've only been into the saltwater hobby for six months.

Fortunately for me, I work with a team of experts.

Unfortunately for me, their job is to help customers. Which, of course, I find vexing whenever I have a question (I have about three per day, although I try to limit it to one).

So what's a hobbyist to do?

One resource I find useful is our own Education Center. Whenever our customer service peeps get asked the same question over and over, they will post the answer in our Frequently Asked Questions section.

Which is great since I frequently ask frequently asked questions.

Often I find myself stumbling over aquarium lingo in general. That's why I love the Saltwater, Freshwater and Pond Glossary ... it saves me from asking questions within questions. Otherwise it can be frustrating when someone's explaining how to solve a problem and you don't even understand the vocab they're using!

What sites do you frequent for quick answers to common questions?

Reef Central

One of the sites recommended to me when I joined Marine Depot back in April was Reef Central.

Being new to the industry—and the hobby, as it were—I had a lot to learn. I'd been perfecting my craft, working in e-commerce since 2002. However, nothing really prepared me for what I'd have to learn ... until I got an aquarium.

If you're new to the hobby, looking to connect with other reefers or simply looking for info, give Reef Central a try.

The October issue of Reefkeeper Magazine is now available online so heed my advice (actually my boss's ... no wait, actually, like, our entire customer service department's advice) and check it out.

They have a great Top 10 this month and the Newbie Corner offers helpful info on water for n00bs like me.

If you have any sites to recommend, feel free to leave us a comment with the URL so we can share them with other readers. Thanks!