Visit 3reef.com to view more photos and information about Niels' remarkable 48x16x20" (120x40x50cm) room-dividing reef. Here's a small sampling of his wonderful reef system including a 16 minute theatrical video.
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Video: NatGeo
Earlier in the week, we shared another ADA video (English version) describing the extensive design and build process for the nature aquarium exhibits at the newly opened Sumida Aquarium in the Tokyo Sky Tree Town complex. Here is the finished results of Amano's work. Brace yourself for awesomeness.
Visit 3reef.com to view more photos and information about Niels' remarkable 48x16x20" (120x40x50cm) room-dividing reef. Here's a small sampling of his wonderful reef system including a 16 minute theatrical video.
About Flashback Fridays: Every Friday, Advanced Aquarist will repost a blog article from this week one year ago. With all the content we publish, we want to share the timeless and interesting articles for our new readers as well as regulars who may have missed the origin
Reef2Reef members are some of the most avid exotic coral collectors I know, so it was a natural community to find some exotic Blastomussa wellsi photos to showcase. Enough with words and on to the photos!
Some corals are lucky in that they can actually unbury themselves when covered with sediment. Fungiid corals, for example, can actively shed sediment buildup by inflating and deflating repeatedly [video]. Other corals, like Pocillopora spp., house symbiotic shrimps and crabs that will help remove sediment buildup as well.
If the coral is not lucky enough to have the ability to either shed sediment through inflation or by symbionts, it's in for a world of hurt -- especially if it grows on a reef close to populated areas where river or terrestrial runoff can foul the sediment with sewage and other organic material.
In their paper "Mechanisms of damage to corals exposed to sedimentation" researchers Miriam Weber, Dirk de Beer, et.al. propose that coral that are covered with sediment that is organic rich will much more quickly succumb to tissue loss and death than coral that are situated far away from populated areas.
Fragments of the coral M. peltiformis covered with sediment that was enriched with organic carbon (A) and the same coral fragments after the sediment was removed (B).
Their research showed that when covered with organic rich sediment, corals would succumb in as little as one day. Corals that were covered with sediment that contained no organic material were shown to last six days with no lasting effect. Weber and others postulated that the organic rich sediments covering the coral contained higher bacteria levels and these bacteria used up the surrounding oxygen during metabolism. Metabolism of the organic material in the sediment then caused a local pH drop. This pH drop in combination with oxygen poor conditions and hydrogen sulfide buildup hit the coral with a "triple-whammy" which caused localized tissue death and eventual coral death as well.
The Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, München news release expounds:
The team of researchers found out the crucial steps:
Phase 1: When a two millimetre layer of sediment enriched with organic compounds covers the corals, the algae will stop photosynthesis, as the light is blocked.
Phase 2: If the sediments are organically enriched, then digestion of the organic material by microbial activity reduces oxygen concentrations underneath the sediment film to zero. Other microbes take over digesting larger carbon compounds via fermentation and hydrolysis thereby lowering the pH.
Phase 3: Lack of oxygen and acidic conditions harm small areas of coral tissue irreversibly. The dead material is digested by microbes producing hydrogen sulfide, a compound that is highly toxic for the remaining corals. The process gains momentum and the remainder of the sediment-covered coral surface is killed in less than 24 hours.
Miriam Weber: "First we thought that the toxic hydrogen sulfide is the first killer, but after intensive studies in the lab and mathematical modeling we could demonstrate that the organic enrichment is the proximal cause, as it leads to lack of oxygen and acidification, kicking the corals out of their natural balance. Hydrogen sulfide just speeds up the spreading of the damage. We were amazed that a mere 1% organic matter in the sediments is enough to trigger this process. The extreme effect of the combination of oxygen depletion and acidifation are of importance, keeping in mind the increasing acidification of the oceans. If we want to stop this destruction we need some political sanctions to protect coral reefs."
Katharina Fabricius from the AIMS adds: "This study has documented for the first time the mechanisms why those sediments that are enriched with nutrients and organic matter will damage coral reefs, while nutrient-poor sediments that are resuspended from the seafloor by winds and waves have little effect on reef health. Better land management practices are needed to minimise the loss of top soil and nutrients from the land so that they are not being washed into the coastal sea."
The research demonstrates populated areas around coral reefs need to maintain constant vigilance when it comes to minimizing pollution that can make it into the oceans as it can have serious consequences on coral.
Sumida Aquarium is a new public aquarium located in the Tokyo Sky Tree Town complex in the heart of urban Tokyo. Aquarium curators have naturally tasked (no pun intended) the world's most influential freshwater aquascaper, Takashi Amano, to design massive nature aquariums for Sumida Aquarium, which opened its doors to the public this month (May, 2012). ADA video cameras record the intensive design process, and it's like nothing you've seen before.
Advanced Aquarist shares part one (of a planned four part) mini-documentary. If you aren't a freshwater aquascape fan yet, this video will make you a convert. The discipline and meticulous thought behind everything Amano does is truly a sight to behold. The artistry behind Amano's craft is enough to make a grown man cry.
Our sincere thanks to Jason Seymour for the referral.
I was introduced to marine side of aquariums purely by accident. I had ordered myself a new Dennerle 30l nano aquarium with all the equipment to make my own "amano-nano" as I wanted to try something new with an aquarium. By this time I already had 3 TOTMs at cichlid-forum.com (1 malawi and 2 SA tanks). However, I was sent only the tank and some very basic essentials such as a nano-thermometer, etc. So now I had a whole month of waiting ahead and browsed through the internet for ideas and inspiration. All of the sudden I found myself at nano-reef.com and needless to say, all the freshwater nano equipment was later sold, still unboxed.
My reefkeeping started happily with that 30l nanocube. However, my appetite wasn't quite satisfied with this tank so a few months later I transformed my 225l SA cichlid / panaque pleco aquarium into a reef with HOB skimmer and a 6-bulb ATI T-5 fixture. This tank was sailing smoothly for well over a year until I decided to go all out with saltwater. I sold my 430l FW angelfish tank to make way for a custom 140x70x55cm, 570l (150 US gal) tank. And now just over year and a half later I am honored by the request to be featured here at Advanced Aquarist. Seeing many of the past feature tanks this is truly a honor.
Having a laid back and borderline lazy personality, aiming for maximum growth (or maximum anything, really) has always been out of equation for my part. For me, this is more about pure aesthetics and providing the best care for the animals depending on me while not forgetting about passing down the respect for nature and its diversity. Naturally, the corals grow and need pruning every now and then, but that really isn't a goal in itself but more of an indicator of doing things correctly (or close enough).
Apart from the tank itself, most of my equipment has been purchased used or other cost-effective source. Stream pumps and lighting are from other tank tear-downs, sump tanks and ATO reservoir are from a closed-down LFS, etc. For me this has been a great way of upgrading and streamlining the system as it has shaped up during its existence.
Even after my two previous reef tanks, I didn't have all my wishes and goalscompletely sorted out. This tank has given me a great opportunity to modify my equipment accordingly. As an example of my evolution, take my cryptic refugium zone. My tank is placed partly under the stairs leaving little to no useful space on its left side. I thought about extending the cabinet all the way under the stairs but thought it impractical to keep heavy salt buckets etc in such confined space. So I plumbed in there another tank divided in two compartments. The bigger section is filled with live rock and sponges serving as a cryptic refugium to add filtration to the system and to preserve microfauna. The smaller section functions as a ATO reservoir refilled with a pump and hose so the lack of workspace isn't an issue.
From the start of this tank, I've maintained pretty much same routines all the way:
Feeding 0-3 times a day with pellets, flakes and/or frozen Omega One and Ocean Nutrition foods to keep diet varied. 1-2 days per week without feeding. Also, quick check in the cabinet to see temperature is within range and everything is working properly. Clean pumps as necessary.
Fill the ATO reservoir with saturated kalkwasser. Also add magnesium to ATO water and empty/clean the skimmer cup.
Change 60l water with 1.026 s.g. water.
Change out the activated carbon and PO4 remover from reactor. Prune macro algae in refugium.
Water chemistry has been stable during the past one and a half years with the use of "Mg enriched" kalkwasser and very frugal balling dosing (80ml/liquid/day) resulting in steady growth even with relatively dense SPS population. Also, since biopellets were introduced, my nutrient levels have dropped down to insignificant levels allowing for more generous feeding routines.
I recently changed from T5 (8x54W) to LED lighting and so far I'm very satisfied with it both for coral coloration and tank temperature.
I am very satisfied with the progress of this tank while still being somewhat concerned on whether I can manage to keep such a wide variety of growing coral colonies long-term. As I have no aspirations of going any bigger, it's just some species may have to go and give way for others to thrive and grow towards their LED sun. Whichever way things go from here, I wish that my somewhat humble setup manages to give inspiration for someone out there looking for ideas just as I was amazed on how such small tanks could mimic parts of the Red Sea and Indo-Pacific.
I would like to thank the staff and members of aqua-web.fi and nano-reef.com for all the advice and support I've received during my time in the hobby and for the inspiration to start with the salty side of life in general. Also, I would like to thank Leonard Ho for believing in this tank already a year back as having potential to be a featured aquarium in Advanced Aquarist.
The 1.5 meter long fish, made out of carbon-fiber, metal, and sensors, swims through the harbor much like an ordinary fish. Its batteries last eight hours and during the time that it is deployed, it works autonomously tracking down pollutants to their source.
"The idea is that we want to have real-time monitoring of pollution, so that if someone is dumping chemicals or something is leaking, we can get to it straight away, find out what is causing the problem and put a stop to it," explains Luke Speller, a senior scientist at the research division of BMT Group, a technology consultancy.
The fish design was chosen over a propeller-based design as a way to make the overall unit more robust during autonomous activity. Propellers can get tangled and clog with marine refuse and seaweed. The fish design does not have this limitation and one of the main benefits of this design is it works very well in shallow water. It can also turn quickly when need arises. The fish are also "smart enough" to work alone or in groups using acoustic signals to communicate with one another.
That being said, these robotic fish will not be permanent residents of the harbor any time soon. The cost of an individual robofish is roughly £20,000 each ($31,600), although it's said that costs will decrease as more and more units are produced.
(via BBC)
The study, Revealing the Appetite of the Marine Aquarium Fish Trade: The Volume and Biodiversity of Fish Imported into the United States, was published yesterday in PLoS ONE by researchers Andrew Rhyne, Michael Tlusty, Pamela Schofield, Les Kaufman, et al. It is an unprecedented detailed investigation of importation records over a one-year period from 2004-2005 and compares invoices and shipping records to discern the total number of both species and individuals imported into the United States.
Chromis viridis: The #1 imported reef fish. Photo by Andreas Marz
The researchers documented some very interesting findings:
They also found that "the number of individual fish listed on shipment declarations matched the invoices only 52% of the time and in total, volume was over-reported by 27% as shipments were often mislabeled to contain marine fish" when in reality they contained freshwater fish.
Read the public-access study at PLoS ONE for a dizzying amount of impressive and important data.
“We were pretty stunned by the error rate on those declarations,” Dr. Rhyne said. “Lots of things were being called marine fish that are not marine fish, like goldfish from Thailand. It looked like Singapore and Thailand were shipping a lot of marine fish to the United States, which they’re not. They’re shipping a lot of freshwater fish.”
Ultimately it is hoped that the system utilized by Dr. Rhyne and others in this study could one day prove useful to the United States' government for more real-time monitoring of marine fish imports. This, in combination with a fast, non-lethal method for screening for cyanide fishing in imported marine fish, could "reduce the risks inherent to the wildlife trade and to protect listed species (CITES). The system could also assist wildlife inspectors with identification of thousands of species from across dozens of phyla."
(via NYTimes)
On the northwest coast of Bali, Indonesia, our good friends at blennywatcher.com shot video of one of nature's great mimicry acts: A tiny, thumbnail-sized juvenile sole (Soleichthys maculosus) masquerading as a colorful (and toxic) polyclad flatworm.
Tell us that wasn't one of the coolest things you've ever seen! Learn more at blennywatcher.com. Our thanks to Ned and Anna and the entire blennywatcher team for sharing this information and for their talented work exploring and documenting tropical sea life.
Thaumoctopus mimicus, eat your heart out!
Lead artist Angela Haseltine Pozzi began the project because "in the last 10 years I have seen the pristine Oregon beaches of my childhood become cluttered with plastic pollution. My response to this reality has been through mixed media sculptures. I now see the essential purpose of my work is not only to create strong aesthetically sound sculptures, but also to bring awareness and dialogue about the oceans' environmental issues. I believe the power of the arts can carry urgent messages forward into the public eye."
KPBS of San Diego, California recently featured the Washed Ashore Project:
The art exhibit is on display at the Chula Vista Nature Center until September 3, 2012 and then they will begin their worldwide tour.
Anna DeLoach tells Advanced Aquarist:
I first saw the fish on April 20, 2010 in about 40 feet off Alor, Indonesia. Ned was not with me so I shot video. We were able to return 2 weeks later and he took photos. We sent them to [Dr. Gerald] Allen and Dr. Hiroyuki Tanaka who both felt it was undescribed. [Allen] and Dr. Mark Erdmann were able to collect 2 specimens last year during one of their CI [Conservation International] survey trips.
Ned and Anna were given the honor of naming the new fish. They chose to name the fish after Paul Humann, esteemed author and underwater photographer. The Alor Fairy Wrasse will make its public print debut in Allen and Erdmann's upcoming book, Reef Fishes of the East Indies, published by the University of Hawaii Press.
Watch Anna DeLoach's video of C.humanni "flashing." Its brilliant courtship display makes it all the more surprising this shallow water species alluded discovery for so long.
Read more about the the Alor Fairy Wrasse's discovery at www.blennywatcher.com. It's amazing how much we still do not know about the animals whom share our world. We tip our hats to the scientists and ocean explorers for expanding our knowledge and appreciation of our living planet.
We spent the past couple Sundays at Apo Island and Cebu, Philippines. This Sunday, we visit Dauin, a municipality in the Philippines just south of Cebu. Once again, Steve De Neef shoots some of the best underwater videos anywhere.