Export Of Live Reef Fish Now Banned In Palau

The exportation of live reef fish has now been banned in Palau, following spirited debate over whether it was a matter for state or national government control.

Rather than a stand alone bill, the ban on the exporting of live reef fish was this week passed after being attached to a bill to increase the maximum loan amount by the Palau National Development Bank.

Individual State governments had granted permission for life fish exports bycollecting direct fees and until this law, no national legislation protected these vital resources.

The issue of the catching, holding and feeding snapper and grouper with smallerfish and periodic shipping of the fish to markets in Hong Kong and Taiwan was brought to public attention earlier in the year when a local tour operator posted photographs ofa “mother ship” and numerous fishing boats on its website.

The Northern Reefs are considered critical breeding grounds for fish consumed by the people of Palau. As such, indiscriminate fishing of not only mature fish but also the smaller fish used as food, concerned marine environmentalists and local leaders.

In his legislative request to the Congress, President Remengesau Jr. had stressed that the “insatiable markets of Asia” for fresh reef fish would result in the decimation of Palau’s reef fish unless banned.

Source: Pacific Magazine

I Google'd Palau to find a picture for the blog. Every image is incredible. I encourage you to take a look. I can see why the government wants to protect this haven.

Spawning coral turns sea pink

Ah, Wednesday. Mid-week. Hump day.

The perfect day to squander your lunch hour viewing videos of coral reefs.

This clip of spawning corals is from BBC News. If you check the video credit, however, the footage actually comes "courtesy of Reefvid.org."

Oh really ...

... well, I have a 60-minute lunch so of course I checked out the site and watched, like, 6 more videos. Most of the stuff I searched for—clown, blue tang, giant clam—came up with at least one watchable video snippet.

Alas, the time has come for me to clock back in. If you find any cool videos you want to share, comment with a link so we can check 'em out later.

Happy hump day!

Tres Palmas Marine Reserve Marine Life Guide

This comes courtesy of Surfrider Foundation's weekly digital newsletter, Soup.

Would you like to explore the underwater universe of the Caribbean basin? Well now with just the click of your mouse you can take a photographic journey as if you were gliding over the reef of the marine reserve yourself.

Click here to check the site and slideshow.

If you'd like to learn more about the Surfrider Foundation and how you can help protect our world’s oceans, waves and beaches, click here.

Q&A with Jake Adams of CORALidea

Jake Adams is a professional, practicing aquarist who has been an active participant in the national marine aquarium community for over 10 years. He has been educating aquarists of a wide range of marine aquarium topics through frequent articles, podcasts and presentations around the country. He recently founded www.coralidea.com which provides a free downloadable guide to coral identification for mobile devices and home computers. Jake has a Bachelor's Degree in Marine Science and he will be returning to graduate school to further pursue research in the field of coral reef ecology. (Bio Source: Sierra Saltwater Systems)

Marine Depot: Can you tell us a little about your background in the saltwater aquarium hobby?

Jake Adams: I have been keeping corals and reef tanks since 1996. My first job was at an aquarium store and I have worked and managed several marine aquarium stores in Denver and Atlanta since then. I received a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Science from the University of South Carolina and even there I managed a wetlab, where I designed, set-up and maintained aquarium systems tailored for specific research purposes. While in college I carried out an independent research project which showed that water flow is crucial in driving photosynthesis. Soon after graduating I worked with spawning coral in Puerto Rico and learned and developed techniques for handling coral larvae. I would say that my background in the aquarium hobby has one foot in the academic world so I try to bring scientific understanding to aquarium knowledge through frequent articles, podcasts and speaking at national and regional aquarium events. Currently my main focus is on developing CORALIDEA as a free digital media resource for identifying and learning about corals, clams and anemones.

MD: What inspired you to create Coralidea? What role do you see it playing for your average reefkeeper?

JA: Since I travel around to many reef events and visit many reef tanks I get to see many unique, rare and unusual specimens which I enjoy photographing as a natural extension of my passion for marine aquaria. I am also somewhat of a gadget head so I keep many pictures on my iPod and smartphone to show other reefers a particular coral when it comes up in conversation. I am also known as a stickler for proper identification and I often use the pictures on my iPod to settle an identification debate. I was literally driving down the road one day when it occurred to me that I had pictures of many different corals and that I should organize them into an ID guide for other people to use on their portable devices such as iPods and smartphones. One of the biggest advantages of the CORALIDEA guide is that the identification is all in Latin so the guide is useful no matter what language you speak. Since the media is in a digital format and useable on so many platforms like iPods, smartphones, computers, PDAs and more, I hope the identification landscape will become easier to learn for the average reefkeeper.

MD: So … what’s YOUR tank like? A quick breakdown of your system specs and livestock should do the trick!

JA: My big tank will either seem really interesting or really lame. It’s a 115 extra tall tank with the footprint of a 75 gallon tank which I primarily use for water flow research. This tank is used for creating wave harmonics using a pair of wireless Vortech pumps to produce long waves and standing waves to a dramatic effect; there is no rock or livestock, just freshwater. My other real tank is a 29 gallon, mixed reef with just about a little of everything coral-wise. Some of the notable livestock includes a wild Onyx true percula, a sunburst anemone, orange flower anemone, a gold coral banded shrimp, a weeping willow toadstool, a red Cycloseris, lots of brilliant zoanthids and a fuschia Neospongodes. The tank is run with a Vortech pump for flow (either oscillating or constant flow), a remora protein skimmer, an OmegaStar DE 150 watt pendant and a heating element controlled by a Medusa. You might say that this hardware is overkill for this type of tank but it allows me to leave the tank alone for a week or two at a time while I am traveling. I add a two-part solution, feed arcti-pods and roti-feast and I change a bucket of water out every 3-5 weeks. I keep it simple so my brother doesn’t have to do much to the tank while I am out of town. This video shows the wave tank with a standing wave or third harmonic wave and the 29 gallon with a long wave or second harmonic. I am really excited about my next reef aquarium which is will be an industry-supported aquarium to showcase what is possible with efficient design and inclusion of energy-saving technologies such as brushless motors, LED lights and thermo-electric chillers.

MD: If you were approached by someone interested in getting into the marine/reef aquarium hobby, what advice would you give them? Are there any misconceptions you would want to clear up? What sites or resources might you recommend to them?

JA: The biggest misconception people have about reef tanks is that lighting is the most important parameter. The well meaning hobbyist then blast their tanks with too much light for too long leading to problems in the form of nuisance algae and unhealthy corals. Water flow is the factor that drives the light and dark reactions and I would love to see people invest a lot more attention to the water motion within their aquarium. A common response I get from the DSB crowd is that more flow will blow away their precious oolitic sand which leads me to the next big common misconception about reef tanks: sand is not a natural part of most of the reef zones that our corals come from. I am not denying the obvious ecological benefits that a sand bed provides for a reef tank but I believe that this effect is best harnessed in an area which is remote from the main aquarium such as in a sump or dedicated refugium.

Probably the best resource for reef noobs is their local aquarium clubs. Most clubs will have some old salt members who can help them to learn more about their area of interest and point them in the right direction for specific information. There are a lot of old aquarium books on the shelves these days so try to pick one or two that have been published within the last five years. Also, make sure to use some critical thinking when you read anything in an open forum such as the internet.

MD: Are you participating in any forthcoming events we should know about?

JA: As I mentioned earlier, I am very active in the national marine aquarium community and I will be speaking at several upcoming events. I will be in Manhattan April 27^th for their frag swap. The following weekend, May 3-4^th, I will be in Rockford Illinois for the Rockford FragFest. In late May I will be speaking at IMAC in Chicago and finally in September I will be doing a workshop at MACNA XX in my old stomping ground of Atlanta. The talks will be on Atlantic stony corals or on the importance of water flow in reef aquariums. Please visit the event websites for more information.

MD: What’s next for you, personally and professionally? How do you see Coralidea fitting into the hobby? What are the next steps for Coralidea? How can hobbyists support Coralidea?

JA: In addition to developing the low-energy reef I mentioned earlier, I am in the process of working on FISHIDEA as a guide to reef fish identification and as a companion to CORALIDEA. Like the coral guide, the fish guide will also be a free download and supported by sponsors. We reefers don’t carry our books around but we do carry our phones and mobile devices. I hope that CORALIDEA and the related guides will eventually become one of the standards we use to identify our reef animals. Although I have no misconceptions that all of the IDs are correct, the guide will eventually include an archive of changes made to the guide so that we will all be able to track our shifting understanding on the proper identification of certain species.

CORALIDEA is currently a balanced operation which I spend a lot of time and energy developing. Hobbyists can support CORALIDEA by submitting images for use in the guide, either fish, corals, clams or anemones. Additionally, since the guide is still a very new concept I really need feed-back on how the guide works for you on your device and what can be done to make it better. Furthermore, I would love to tailor the guide for optimum performance on a range of platforms but I can only afford one new device every six months or so. There is a (seldom-used) Paypal donation button on the website for the development fund. If you would like to see increased functionality in the guide please consider making a donation with comments as to what device or functionality you would like to see added to the CORALIDEA guide. All submissions and Paypal donations can be sent to corallite at gmail dot com.

MD: Quick, name your top 5 favorite corals (starting stopwatch). Go!

JA: Disc corals Fungia and Cycloseris are first on the list. They have such a neat reproductive strategy and they are one of the few corals you can call a pet because you are looking at the same polyp year after year. We all love Acros but one I like in particular is Acropora abrotanoides. ‘Abros’ have such a thick branching pattern that they make a really majestic staghorn colony, quite different from your typical green slimmer, but they require very fast water flow to grow well. As a group I really like Pavona species and the related Caribbean counterpart Agaricia. Both of these coral genera have very interesting growth forms and intricate skeletal detail which is unique and extremely rewarding to photograph. Stylocoeniella is kind of a weirdo coral which I think I was the first to identify among boulder-shaped Porites. I remember the funny looks I used to get when identifying this coral to old-salts but now it is not uncommon to see several different species properly identified and available for sale. I like Stylocoeniella because it is a primitive cryptic coral which takes a true aficionado to appreciate. The skeleton is very hard, a lot more like marble than limestone and this coral will release brooded larvae in the aquarium much like Pocillopora species. Another weirdo which is infrequently imported from the Solomon Islands is Australogyra zelli. This species has a branching pattern which is unique amongst larger polyped Faviids. A. zelli is a often a poor shipper so it is not available for sale very often. This majestic species was on the cover of Veron’s first major coral ID book, Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. Like the ‘Abro’ I mentioned before, the thick branches of A. zelli also need a lot of water flow to survive.

Aiptasia-X performs X-actly as Advertised

There is a buzz in the reef aquarium community surrounding the release of Red Sea’s new pest anemone treatment, Aiptasia-X.

What seems to be on everyone’s mind is, “Does this stuff really work? I mean really, really work?”

I’ve read the forums. I’ve spoken with fellow reefers. It isn’t skepticism.

We’ve simply tried other aiptasia treatments and, well … you know how it is: you treat your tank and just when things start looking better, all of a sudden, a new colony appears even larger than the last.

It’s not that we don’t believe this new treatment will be different. It’s just that we’re afraid of getting our hopes up.

That is why I am pleased—even excited—to report that Aiptasia-X works. Remarkably well, in fact.

So well that I have no reservations stating here, in writing, that Aiptasia-X is the most effective aiptasia treatment I have ever used.

What’s so different about Aiptasia-X? Superficially speaking, not much.

Pop open the box and you’ve got your standard issue aiptasia treatment: a bottle of goo and a syringe.

Look closer and you’ll see the applicators have metal tips. Seemingly inconsequential, however, if you’ve used other aiptasia treatments, you know that plastic-tipped applicators inevitably get clogged with dried gunk. Then you get to play the “stick the paper clip in the tip” game, which, although vexing, is better than the alternative “push the plunger as hard as you can until it squirts all over your tank” game.

The second thing I noticed upon closer inspection was that the size of the bottle is 3 times larger than the stuff I usually buy to treat aiptasias. Scoring 3x the treatment plus two—one curved, one straight—metal-tipped applicators for only a couple of dollars more than I normally fork over is a heckuva deal.

But let’s cut to the chase. How effective is Aiptasia-X at exterminating glass anemones? In a word: X-tremely.

Since Aiptasia-X is sensed as food, injecting it near the oral disk of an anemone will stimulate it to expand and ingest the treatment. Another difference between Aiptasia-X and other like-minded products on the market is Aiptasia-X globulates as it enters the water, forming a thick adhesive that seals the anemone’s oral disk and mouth, thus preventing the release of planulas (larvae).

Within 60 seconds, the aiptasia implodes, just like Red Sea demonstrates in their video, eradicating both the anemone and planula.

As you might imagine, this can be very entertaining if you’ve treated an entire colony of aiptasias. My marketing cohort and I imagined the aiptasias imploding to the volley of cannon fire in Tchaikovsky's famous 1812 Overture.

Red Sea states that “Aiptasia-X globules will not affect the sessile polyps of corals and allows for the safe treatment of Aiptasia that have grown inside coral colonies. Excess X-Aiptasia will decompose over time without causing any harm to the reef.”

I’ve used Aiptasia-X three times and made two noteworthy observations regarding its interaction with the corals in our tank. First, I believe Red Sea’s claim that Aiptasia-X is sensed as food because each time I used it, our Trumpet Coral protracted its feeder tentacles (not to mention the anemones reaction, which was to expand rather than retract into a hole).

Second, I accidently squirted a decent-sized globule on our Orange Montipora and it left a white blemish about ½” long and ¼” across, even after I blew off most of it with our squirt tube. Since this only happened yesterday, I’m not sure if individual polyps were killed but either way I’m confident Monty’ll make a comeback. A similar stain appeared after our frogspawn latched on to Monty but the spot eventually returned to its striking orange in no time.

And that's pretty much the gist of it. I'll keep an eye on Monty and let you know if the white spot doesn't clear up, but otherwise, I'm giving Aiptasia-X a "killer" rating.

Happy hunting!

Algerian Marine Services Arrest Coral Smugglers

During the last 15 months, marine forces have arrested 46 coral smugglers and have seized 155 pounds of high quality coral, 37 Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) Systems, 338 coral removal machines and "a sizable number" of diving costumes. This was all done in the name of catching thieves that pillage the ocean's natural coral reefs.

Source: El Khabar

Japan uses coral to define international border

In what is the largest coral fragging project in the world, Japan is using living coral to lay claim to parts of the Pacific over 200 miles from their shore.

Started in 2006, the Japanese government has budgeted 7.55 million dollars to collect, reproduce and grow more than 100,000 fast growing acropora fragments about the size of a finger.

Japan is using these fragments to fortify small islets, that they claim are islands, from erosion.

According to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, if these are "real" islands, not just outcroppings as the Chinese government claims, Japan's control over the Pacific would extend another 200 nautical miles.

Even though Japan is using the coral to expand their share of the ocean, the research that they are doing is proving beneficial to help save coral reefs around the world.

Candy Coral Feeding

Please excuse the poor image quality of these photos (they were shot with a 1.3 megapixel Motorola Q).

Oh, and nevermind that aiptaisa there in the background, either.

These images of the marketing department's Candy Coral were shot this morning after we turned off our Hydor Koralia and Maxi-Jet pumps and fed the tank.

It was a beautiful display, although you probably can't tell from these couple of pictures. The candy's feeding tentacles were transparent with white tips—some reaching as far as two inches—further than we'd ever observed.

Nothing too exciting, I suppose, if it's not your own tank you're ogling at. It did, however, give me something to blog about during my lunch hour while sitting at my desk eating a salad.

And no, I did not extract any tentacles to consume said lunch. Instead, I used one of the world's most useful inventions: the spork.

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

Battle for the Coral Reefs

While surfing through the blogs in our blogroll this morning, I stumbled upon a cool little video game I thought you reefers might get a kick out of.

Thanks to Mark over at blogfish for the find.

Oh, and Boss, if you're reading this, I only played it once just to make sure it was functional. ;-)

The game is called Battle for the Coral Reefs. Here's a little marketing blurb about the game:

Battle for the Coral Reefs is a classic shooter game set underwater. Choose from three unique ship designs and battle an ocean of waste. Jump in, master the high score, and restore the coral reefs!

It's a great time waster reminiscent of an 80s arcade classic, Asteroid. If you've read some of my earlier posts, you know I'm a sucker for anything that conjures up 80s nostalgia.

Tune in for my next post on slap bracelets, ghetto blasters and parachute pants.

Ha, just kidding. Enjoy the game!

New Addition: Peppermint Shrimp

We've been battling aiptasias in the marketing tank for some time, so I decided to hit up the Marine Depot forum again for some advice from the experts.

I jumped into a thread about aiptasias and gave a brief rundown of what livestock we had in the tank to see if they thought picking up a Peppermint Shrimp—who are known to eat aiptasias—would be a good idea.

After receiving mostly favorable feedback, I decided to go ahead and buy one (about $6.00 USD). We acclimated him using the drip technique for about an hour and then dropped him into our 24-gallon AquaPod.

Our Blue Assessor immediately began pecking at the Peppermint once he settled on the sandbed. The shrimp tried in vein to find shelter, attempting to hide beneath the mantle of our Crocea Clam.

I should note the Assessor displayed similar behavior when we introduced a Six Line Wrass awhile back (RIP - he jumped into the back, never to be heard from again). The Assessor's behavior is odd because he's normally pretty low-key, hanging out in a cave with our Pom Pom Crab whom he never, ever disturbs.

Evidently he doesn't appreciate strangers in his 'hood.

The Peppermint disappeared for the remainder of the day, scurrying into the back to avoid the wrath of the Blue Assessor. After no signs of him yesterday evening and this morning, I figured our big coral banded shrimp ripped him in two for disturbing his molt.

Fortunately, one of our purchasers spotted him around lunchtime doing what appeared to be push-ups beneath a big blue mushroom.

I'm relieved he's alive. I'm also stoked he's into staying physically fit. I'll report back on his appetite for aiptasias.

Oh, and I named him, too. :-)

Cory Matthews joins Corey Feldman, the coral banded, and Corey Haim, the Cleaner, to complete the trinity of aquarium shrimps.

Hopefully all three amigos make it through the weekend!

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.

Butterfly fish 'may face extinction'

A beautiful black, white and yellow butterflyfish, much admired by eco-tourists, divers and aquarium keepers alike, may be at risk of extinction, scientists have warned.

The case of the Chevroned Butterflyfish is a stark example of how human pressure on the world’s coral reefs is confronting certain species with” ‘blind alleys’ from which they may be unable to escape, says Dr. Morgan Pratchett of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies Media Release and James Cook University.

In a study published in the journal Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology Dr. Pratchett and Dr. Michael Berumen of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (USA) warn that the highly specialized nature of the feeding habits of this particular butterflyfish—the distinctively patterned Chaetodon trifascialis—make it an extinction risk as the world’s coral reefs continue to degrade due to human over-exploitation, pollution and climate change.

“The irony is that these butterflyfish are widespread around the world, and you’d have thought their chances of survival were pretty good,” Dr. Pratchett said today. “But they only eat one sort of coral—Acropora hyacinthus—and when that runs out, the fish just disappear from the reef."

The team found it hard to believe a fish would starve rather than eat a mixed diet, so they tested C. trifascialis in tank trials on a range of different corals. The fish grew well when its favorite coral was available—but when this was removed and other sorts of corals offered, it grew thin, failed to thrive and some died.

“We call these kinds of fish obligate specialists. It means they have a very strong dietary preference for one sort of food, and when that is no longer available, they go into decline. We still don’t have a satisfactory scientific explanation for this, as it seems like rather a risky tactic in evolutionary terms—but it must confer some advantage provided enough of its preferred food is available,” Dr. Pratchett says.

The A. hyacinthus coral, which the butterfly fish feeds on, is itself highly vulnerable—to attacks by plagues of crown-of-thorns starfish (thought to be triggered by humans releasing excess nutrients onto the reef as sediment, fertilizer or sewage), to storms and to the coral bleaching caused by the heating of ocean surface waters to 32 degrees or more, which is thought to be linked to global warming.

“Although extremely widespread, the Chevroned butterflyfish may be at considerable risk of extinction following ongoing degradation of coral reefs around the world, because the coral itself is exceptionally vulnerable,” Dr. Pratchett explains.

“It is estimated that up to 70 percent of the world’s coral reefs are now badly degraded, which usually involves the loss of this particular coral—and, when it goes, the C. trifascialis also disappear from the reef.

“To make matters worse, butterflyfishes are one of the main families of coral reef fishes being targeted by aquarium collectors. However, the specialized coral-eaters are clearly not suitable for keeping in aquaria—and often die because they cannot obtain their main food source."

A previous case in which a coral-dependent fish vanished occurred in the case of Gobiodon, a specialized coral-dweller known only from one site, Kimbe Bay in Papua New Guinea, which was thought by scientists to have possibly become extinct after its habitat was destroyed.

Researchers consider that such extinctions are likely to occur as part of the global mass extinction of species now taking place, and that marine ecosystems may be particularly vulnerable in that small changes in habitat or water quality can have a big impact on their species.

Dr. Pratchett and Dr. Berumen say theirs is one of the few studies so far to consider the evolutionary and ecological basis of dietary versatility, and has implications for the fate of specialised feeders throughout the animal kingdom.

Source: Environmental News Network

2008 SouthWestern Coral Farmers Market

Scott, a member of our purchasing team (and one of our bloggers), sent me a link this morning to the SouthWestern Coral Farmers Market. They have an event this Sunday, February 24th, 2008 that I thought I'd share with you since 1/3 of the visitors to our blog are from California. The following text is from their website:

This 2008 Coral Farmers Market sanctioned event is the third annual event run by the SouthWestern Coral Farmers Market company. We now have confirmed reservations for 33 coral farming and exhibiting vendors who will be selling or displaying their captive grown, cultured corals or reef related products to the public. This is scheduled to be the largest Coral Farmers Market event to date. This will also be one of the largest displays of the absolute best exotic captive grown corals ever presented to the buying public. We expect at least 400 total attendees. Some of the best coral farming vendors from Southern California, the states of Utah, Nevada and Arizona along with farmers from the California Bay Area and Sacramento will be setting up coral displays. Farmers include aquarists, retail reef shops, online coral shops and full scale coral farming enterprises. There will also be exhibitors present who will be demonstrating and selling their products. This SW-CFM event will also feature coral auctions, raffles and door prizes throughout the day. Reef aquarists new to the captive reef market can also expect to see a fine collection of easy to keep beginner corals. For the first time in a Coral Farmers Market event we will also have a Marine Fish Hatchery company exhibiting and selling captive bred marine fish. Aquarists and enthusiasts can attend this one-day event by purchasing a SouthWestern Coral Farmers Market day ticket online for ($25). Tickets will also be sold at the door ($30) during the day of the event, but may be limited by occupancy restrictions. We are also encouraging our farmers to bring plenty of farmed soft corals along with their usual excellent farmed stony corals.

For more information, visit the SW-CFM website.

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

The Doctor Is In: Q&A with Ronald L. Shimek, Ph. D

Marine Depot: For readers of our blog who aren’t yet familiar with your forum or blog, tell us a little about yourself and your involvement (past/present) in the aquarium hobby.

Ronald L. Shimek, Ph. D.: I am invertebrate zoologist/marine ecologist who has kept marine animals in aquaria since the invention of water. My scientific work has been mostly with animals that live in soft-sediments (muds or sands) and often in the deep seas, although I have worked in pretty much all marine environments. I have close to 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications, the latest in 2007.

I started keeping marine aquaria in my home in the late 1980s and have had “reef” aquaria ever since. I have been answering questions online since 1994, when I was one of the moderators of the old “Compuserve” Fishnet. Since then, I have been online more or less continuously ever since, and my career has turned from deep sea researcher to “aquarium consultant.” I still teach though, both online (through my forums- which have been well supported by MD, I must add!!) and at universities.

I have written 2 books, and 3 pamphlets for the marine hobby, and maybe about 120 articles in just about every venue.

• Shimek, R. L. 1999. The Coral Reef Aquarium, An Owner’s Guide to A Happy Healthy Fish. Howell Book House. New York. 126 pp. ISBN: 1-58245-117-6
• Shimek, R. L. 2004. Marine Invertebrates. 500+ Essential –To-Know Aquarium Species. T. F. H. Publications. Neptune City, New Jersey. 448 pp. ISBN: 1-890087-66-

Pamphlets Published:

• Shimek, R. L. 2001. Host Sea Anemone Secrets. A Guide to the Successful Husbandry of Indo-Pacific Clownfish Host Sea Anemones. Marc Weiss Companies, Inc. Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. 24 pp. ISBN: 0-9664549-5-2
• Shimek, R. L. 2001. Sand Bed Secrets. The Common-Sense Way to Biological Filtration. Marc Weiss Companies, Inc. Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. 36 pp. ISBN: 0-9664549-6-0
• Shimek, R. L. 2001. How to Get There from Here... Hints and Techniques to Make Reef Keeping Easier. Marc Weiss Companies, Inc. Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. 32 pp. ISBN: 0-9664549-7-9

MD: What do you feel are the 3 biggest innovations to hit the aquarium hobby since your humble beginnings at age 12?

RLS:

1. Keeping organisms in a more natural environmental setting (with all aspects of an “ecosystem” – sand bed, rock, water, etc.
2. Good foam filtration as a means to remove some of the organic problem chemicals.
3. One or two good salt mix formulations.

MD: What advancements in the hobby do you foresee being introduced in, say, the next 5-10 years? What products/solutions do you see (or want to see) push the boundaries of what is currently possible?

RLS: Possibly better salt mixes; most of the present brands leave a lot to be desired. Hopefully, a reduction in the use of unnecessary and toxic additives. We will need to start to breed animals, otherwise we will see the beginning of the end of the hobby within 10 years as coral reefs start to fade out all over the world.

This breeding will only be feasible with better salts, and with reduction in the use of toxic additives.

MD: Share with us one of Montana’s best kept secrets or local legends (sorry, we don’t get out much).

RLS: Jackalopes. And it is a truly nice place to live.

MD: (starting egg timer) Quick, name your top five favorite inverts!

Any of the scaphopoda, but particularly my old friends Pulsellum salishorum, and Antalis pretiosum. Also, the venomous snails: Oenopota levidensis, and Ophiodermella inermis And finally the sea pen: Ptilosarcus gurneyi.

From aquaria...
Stomatella varia; Sabellastarte magnifica, Eunice species; Scleronephthya species; Fungia fungites.

MD: What’s the good doctor got planned for 2008? (so we can clear our calendars!)

RLS: I will turn 60, given that age, I hope to live through the year! I will be at the IMAC; don't know about MACNA (they haven't really asked). I am doing research on feeding in gorgonians in reef tanks and will present those data. Also I hope to do some online teaching through the MD forums; possibly on sand beds, and invertebrate biology.

Clownfish off hook as fishermen fight global warming

SYDNEY - Clownfish made famous by the Disney film Finding Nemo are to be left alone by fishermen after their Great Barrier Reef habitat was devastated by coral bleaching, a phenomenon associated with global warming.

The fish, which are found in numerous colours but most often are orange with white stripes, depend on anemones - fish-eating animals with poisonous tentacles.

They eat morsels of fish left by the anemones, and are protected by them.

In return, clownfish protect anemones and clean them by eating dead tentacles.

The clownfish are popular with aquariums, particularly since the film.

But in one area of the reef, near Keppel Island in north Queensland, commercial operators have voluntarily agreed not to catch the fish or their host anemones.

Several episodes of coral bleaching have reduced the number of anemones and the fish that depend on them.

That is bad news for the tourism industry, as snorkellers and divers at the Great Barrier Reef hope to see the clownfish underwater.

The agreement was reached between operators and the Barrier Reef authority, as a step towards allowing the reef to regenerate.

Lyle Squire, a commercial fisherman and industry representative, told The Australian newspaper: "We recognise the importance of these fish to the tourism industry.

"People come from all over the world to snorkel the Keppels, so we are happy to exercise our stewardship and stop taking clownfish from those reefs."

Mr Squire, whose family has run aquariums in Cairns for many years, said the voluntary moratorium was a precautionary measure to allow the clownfish's habitat to recover from bleaching.

Coral bleaching is associated with climate change and warmer sea temperatures.

"There is a real worry that they [clownfish] will become less common on the reef, and that will be a tragedy not just for us, but for all users of the reef," he said.

The agreement was welcomed by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

A spokeswoman described it as "an important step towards effective co-management of this small but economically viable fishery."

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority said the moratorium would help to protect the reef, which is considered to be under serious threat from global warming and coral bleaching.

"Such an initiative is probably a world first in addressing this growing problem," it said.

— Courtesy of The New Zealand Herald

It’s beginning to look a lot like fishmas