From the President’s Desk - by Cheri Phillips

I’m equally excited with the rest of MASNA’s 2004-2005 Board of Directors, which includes both returning BOD members in new roles as well as new folks. I’d like to introduce the new team:

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Boston Reefers Society, MACNA XVI’s host! With over 100 vendors and 20+ speakers, the conference presented a little something for everyone and it appeared to me that a good time was enjoyed by all.

Boston was the focus of the national eye all to often in 2004. Whether you are into politics, sports or marine aquariums Bean Town hosted it all. For aquarists, Boston Reefers hosted the XVI annual Marine Aquarium Conference of North America at the Hyatt Harborside hotel. In conjunction with the New England Aquarium and sponsored by Tropical Fish Hobbyist, MACNA XVI provided a myriad of speakers, activities and exhibits that truly provided a memorable experience for marine enthusiasts.

MACNA XVI was a bit of a departure from the traditional format of previous national conferences. Gone was the central lecture hall and in were numerous, rather cozy, conference rooms throughout the hotel. Booths, from exhibitors and sponsors, now filled the grand ball room and even spilled over into large tents on the hotel grounds. Hands on workshops were offered to more of the attendees this year than in the past covering propagation by Greg Hiller and Dustin Horton or photography by Daniel Knop. MACNA XVI had a decidedly international presence this year. Daniel Knop, David Saxby and Martin Lakin brought marine news from across the pond. Charles Delbeek shared his recent adventures to Japan and S. Korea seeking out the Orient's efforts to keep non-photosynthetic corals. The conference ending raffle was a highlight rather than an arduous ongoing foray in patience. The procedure was revamped such that participants were included in almost every raffled item. The event itself was held outside of the hotel on the banks of the harbor with the beautiful Boston skyline as a back drop. With the three grand prizes worth an estimated $20,000 there was quite a bit of excitement in the air, to say the least.

Daniel Knop - European Reefkeeping Methods

Daniel Knop was the first speaker to put forth the notion that "simple ideas have great effect". "A return to simplicity" was to become a central theme for the conference, reinforced by numerous other lecturers. All too often, aquarists get caught up in the bells and whistles that surround our husbandry efforts. Daniel Knop noted that it is the fairer sex in the hobby that has an innate capacity to focus on the underlying principles that make the hobby so enjoyable. Daniel gave an historic account of the German hobbyist evolution from the Berlin systems of the 70’s and 80’s to the addiction for small polyp stony (SPS) corals that exists today. He does not call these SPS fanatics "aquarists", but rather amusingly "acroporists". Some of the newest trends in German husbandry include the use of Zeolite, vodka and impulse generators. The mineral zeolite as a filter medium, only recently found in the US, is thought to limit nutrients in a closed system and supply needed minerals to its biological inhabitants. Direct addition of vodka to aquariums theorizes that organic carbon loading will fuel specific anerobic bacteria reducing nitrate levels in an aquarium. Finally, impulse generators are being experimented with as an energy-efficient way of supplying the needed motion of the ocean in German reef tanks. Electrical conservation is a major issue for European aquarists who are employing eco evaporators and light emitting diodes (LED’s) to combat the problem. A large portion of Daniel's talk was dedicated to coral farming in Indonesia and the need to encourage more propagation of corals on farms in an effort to sustain the marine aquarium hobby in the future.

David Saxby & Martin Lakin - Current Trends in European Reefkeeping

One of the most enjoyable lectures that I heard all weekend came from the two chaps from across the pond David Saxby and Martin Lakin. Their contribution to the international flare of the conference was a down-to-earth approach to reefkeeping in England by walking listeners through their systems or as they termed it "Reef Gardens". Make no mistake, these are not your average gardens as their 3000+ gallon systems will attest to. The photographs of David Saxby’s system were nothing short of spectacular and can be seen in Ultimate Marine Aquariums by Michael Paletta. With such large aquariums the scale of their filtration components was impressive, incorporating giant 6 foot skimmers and deep sand beds that total more than twice the volume of water that I ever plan on sustaining myself. Like the Germans, they too are forced to conserve as much energy as possible due to the high costs of electricity in their country. They employ eco coolers that operate via the latent heat of evaporation in water to keep the temperatures in their gardens at optimal levels. Like Americans, both are very passionate about the methods that they employ to keep nutrients to a minimum in their tanks. Phosphorus reactors and self-stirring calcium reactors are a must for their systems, as is the need to clean your protein skimmer. David feels that many Americans fail to do such critical maintenance. I should note that David doesn’t have to do such menial tasks because his Deltek skimmer has an automatic cleaning design. Both speakers stressed that simplicity of design was the key to their success with such monstrous systems, oops, I mean "gardens."

Eric Borneman - Current Research Project Highlights

True to his nature Eric Borneman gave a stellar talk that was not to be missed, which could be easy to do considering the lightning pace that he conducts his lectures. I was ready this year with recorder in hand assuring I wouldn’t miss a syllable. Some of his current research is with the Coral Reef Health consortium centering on the need to identify the equivalent of a lab rat in corals. A species of coral is needed that can be subjected to an array of research much the way cosmetics or cancer drugs are tested on rats. Close to my home in Arkansas, Eric is involved with Reef Savers, Inc. of Stafford Texas where their goal is to acquire most every known species of Caribbean coral for culture and propagation. A recent expedition to the Florida cost, under government permit, added to their growing collection of corals. I truly believe that the long term success of the marine aquarium hobby and perhaps corals themselves rests in the efforts of the land-based aquaculture of corals such as is occurring in Texas. Eric updated his examination of the recent decline of elegance coral health within the trade. Aquarists provided 67 elegance coral samples over the past year allowing data to be gathered on the symptoms common to their demise. A swollen disk with shortened tentacles was described in 84% of the corals, while 82% presented with a white mucous web on the coral's exterior. Over time, the elegance corals would shrink until their eventual death. Initial speculation is that the corals are succumbing to a fungal infection brought on by damage during shipping. Recent dive trips to the Texas Flower Gardens off the coast of Galveston were touted as some of the best untouched reefs in the Caribbean. These reefs are crucial to coral research because they provided a glimpse of the natural progression and regression of a reef ecosystem, apart from the pollution of humanity. A number of coral maladies were discussed, such as ridge mortality disease and Pale Ring condition. Listeners were particularly interested in Eric’s comments on the little red bugs that have begun plaguing acroporists around the world. It is believed, at this point, that the red bugs are acropora specific in their diet, choosing to die rather than feast on an alternate species. Ridding a tank of these pests may best be accomplished with the use of Interceptor or Lugol's Solution. However, eradication must be 100% or the little red bugs will quickly repopulate as they are direct developers. As if Eric does not have enough irons in the fire, his future endeavors include a trip to Fiji and participation in the first use of aquacultured coral for reef restoration off the coast of Florida.

Dana Riddle - Making Corals Colorful

I was fortunate enough to get a second row seat for Dana Riddle's much anticipated discussion on coral coloration. The banter among hobbyist inevitably circles around light – what type, what brand, what temperature, you name it, we all seek the most radiant colors from our corals that we can possibly muster out of them. Many of the attendees hoped that Dana would deliver the smoking gun to aquarists on what exactly will make our corals grow faster and look more beautiful. Ultimately, no gun was presented, smoking or otherwise. Yet some very compelling data was discussed from Dana’s research on the effects of various light spectra upon corals. Corals do in fact react very differently to specific wavelengths of light. In his experiments, corals were subjected to varying spectrum of LED lights: UV, red, blue and green among others. Blue light provided the highest degree of coloration change while red light induced bleaching from the opposite end of the light spectrum. The coloration shifts in blue light lends some evidence toward what has been largely anecdotal preference for lighting reef aquariums by hobbyist and manufacturers alike. Further experimentation with light intensity showed that it is possible to slow down photosynthesis in coral tissue by over-illuminating the coral. It is often said that the most colorful corals are the slowest growing – in fact some brightly colored coral species do grow slower from a lack of optimum light for photosynthesis due to overexposure. It was suggested that hobbyist rethink there fervor for the newer brighter lamps that have become available recently. Dana’s research, like most, presented many more questions upon completion as it did provide answers. He is hopeful that it may be likely to tell the health of a coral by its coloration in the future.

Charles Delbeek - Keeping Non-Photosynthetic Corals

The striking coloration of Dendronephthya is all too often seen in our local fish stores luring us into a flight of fancy seeing these beautiful soft corals growing in our aquariums. Currently these flights of fancy are only empty dreams as non-photosynthetic corals have long been known to be extremely difficult to keep alive for any appreciable length of time. Charles Delbeek spoke of his recent trip to the Orient to gather information on Asian efforts to grow non-photosynthetic corals. His odyssey took him to the Kushimoto Marine Park near Osaka in southern Japan. This open system has been successful in maintaining cork screw corals and gorgonians in good health for several years. Large nocturnal galleries of Tubastrea and gorgonians were being maintained in Okinawa on a diet of frozen copepods. You would not expect Dendronephthya to be of too much interest at the largest women’s university in the world. However, in Seoul South Korea, home to the university, Dendronephthya is very much a focus of current research. Their diligence and heavy feedings have maintained these soft corals for around 8 months. The southern most island of Xexu, off the coast of S. Korea, supports over 5000 tourists a year who come to see a remarkable stand of soft coral growth. Also famous for abalone, Charles found these farmers sustaining Dendronephthya growth under the most rudimentary of conditions. The abalone farmers had set up large concrete vats that had very little water motion and simply overflowed onto the floor – no return or filtration. Back home at the Waikiki aquarium, his efforts to keep Dendronephthya alive were conducted in a custom-built cylindrical tank under the premise that water flow in a key factor in the ability for non-photosynthetic corals to feed. Charles feels it is the current that molds the shapes the coral's polyps into a position that allows them to capture prey. The current data seems to indicate that there are optimum conditions of water flow under which a predatory coral is most successful in capturing prey. Hopefully, in the not-too- distant future we will have the ability as aquarists to reproduce such environments for non-photosynthetic corals, once we understand them.

Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley - Reef Chemistry

Dr. Holmes-Farley presented a topic that aquarists love to hate – Chemistry. The truth of the matter is that understanding the chemistry that is happening in our tanks is imperative to the success that we have with our animals. The relationship between calcium, alkalinity and pH is probably one of the most difficult to truly understand. Data was presented that showed the relationship of change among the three elements if one were altered. Randy gave specific examples of how to manage the content of all three elements and the most effective methods of delivering them to a reef system. A warning was issued not to neglect the CO₂ depletion as a result of additives such as limewater. Surface agitation and water movement is often not enough to keep CO₂ in a system down. All to often, the closed environment of a home maintains high CO₂ from lack of ventilation – especially in the winter. Magnesium was also discussed as being key to the delivery of calcium to corals once you have an adequate supply in the water column. If aquarists are using dechlorinated tap water to top off their systems, Randy encouraged listeners to contact their local water department and request information on the exact water quality in their area. While there is a national standard for water quality, individual cities will have more or less of specific elements, such as copper. The jury is still out on the effectiveness of adding supplements such as strontium and iodine. Dr. Holmes-Farley feels the future of reef chemistry will focus on organics in our closed systems.

The Boston Reefers brought together numerous other lecturers that are among the brightest minds in the marine aquarium hobby. I would love to have listened to them all, but due to the event's scheduling we all had to make some pretty hard choices. Other speakers at the conference included: Sanjay Joshi, Julian Sprung, Dr. J. "Charlie" Vernon, Dustin Dortin, Frank Hoff, Tom Frakes, Helmut Debelius, Joe Yaiullo, Bob Fenner, Dr. Bruce Carleson, Larry Jackson and Dr. Tim Hovanec. I am always amazed at how personable and accessible all of the speakers are at MACNA conferences.

The conclusion to the conference brought everyone together on the banks of the Boston harbor for what all hoped was a ticket to a summer vacation in Fiji courtesy of Walt Smith. While I am not writing this article on a beach in Fiji, I am looking at a beautiful oil painting entitled "Caught in the Open" by Grant Hacking valued at $4000. I have never won a single thing in 37 years and was dumbfounded when my wife screeched that we had the ticket for the grand prize painting. Two aquariums donated by All Glass Aquariums and Marineland were among the other grand prizes. The raffle was a spectacular end to a weekend packed with information and fun. I look forward to MACNA XVII in Washington, D.C. and encourage everyone to attend if at all possible, you will not be disappointed. You can find details for MACNA XVII at www.macnaxvii.com. I hope to see you there.

Let's continue to work together, knowing what we are doing is making a difference. Happy Reefing!

By Sylvia Spalding, MAC Communications Director

Marine educators who in the past have attempted a saltwater tank and found it difficult to successfully maintain or who have wanted to start a tank but have been daunted by the task should look again.

That is the message that the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) has been promoting to marine educators at recent National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) and National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) annual conferences. Individuals who have co-presented with MAC have included MAC Board member John Brandt, MAC Certified retailer Rick Preuss and former MAC Certified retailer and current MAC North America Coordinator Mark Schreffler.

At the 2003 NMEA conference, Preuss, Schreffler and MAC Communications Director Sylvia Spalding introduced marine educators to the concept of the new aquaria and the role of the MAC in helping coral reef conservation through certification of the marine aquarium trade. The response was overwhelmingly positive at the presentation as well as at the MAC exhibit booth, prompting the MAC team to present again in 2004.

The MAC presentation at the 2004 conference covered equipment, setup and maintenance fundamentals as well as lesson plans for utilizing marine aquaria in the classroom. Educators were encouraged to use marine aquaria to teach not only concepts for the hard sciences (ecosystems, biology, physics, chemistry, etc.), but also socioeconomic issues (where marine organisms come from, how they are caught, effects on environment and poverty reduction, how consumer choice can affect the global trade, etc.). The newly produced MAC five-minute video on the marine aquarium trade shown as part of the presentation was well received by the standing-room only audience. Narrated by Alexander Gould (the voice of Nemo in Finding Nemo) and co-sponsored by Rolf C. Hagen Corp., the video explains how marine aquarium organisms are collected and then transported from exporter, to importer, to retailer in a chain of custody that can span half the globe.

At the 2004 NABT conference, Brandt co-presented with Peg Warmack of Portage Central High School, Michigan. Warmack teaches a course called Environmental Systems that has a lab componet which utilizes a a 70-gallon aquarium system. This system was designed and set up by Schreffler, when he owned and operated The Reef Shop.

MAC has also worked with Jean Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society to develop educational materials for the Girl Scouts of America and for Pacific Island educators and fishing villages. These materials encourage the early education of the marine ecosystem and coral reef conservation. MAC is also working with public aquariums in the United States, Europe and elsewhere to include a responsible marine aquarium trade message in their exhibits, classroom lessons, public lectures, docent tours, etc. MAC is also looking forward to working with the Washington DC Area Marine Aquarium Society as it plans an education strand for MACNA 2005.

For more on MAC, visit www.aquariumcouncil.org or contact info@aquariumcouncil.org.

Response from marine educators to the MAC presentation “Conserving Coral Reefs through Responsible Aquarium Keeping” [pictured here] at the NMEA 2003 conference was overwhelmingly positive. At the 2004 NMEA conference, the MAC presentation “Success Like Never Before: The New Marine Aquaria in the Classroom” was standing room only.	Marine educators at the MAC booth at the NMEA conference learn how marine aquaria can be used as a basis to teach social science lessons (conservation, geography, economics, etc.) as well as biology, chemistry, physics, ecology and other hard sciences.	The marine aquarium at Portage Central High School provides a basis for educating students about marine ecosystems, coral reef conservation and MAC Certification. Additonal image of students studying tank.

Member Club Upcoming Events

Would your club like to host Macna XVIII?

Please consider this with your club's board of directors now, as the deadline to apply is March 1st, 2005.

Applications will be considered by the MASNA Board of Directors during March, to give the winning club enough time to organize this national conference.

Application form - don't delay!