In 2014 Russian cosmonauts discovered sea plankton living on the International Space Station (ISS). While there isn’t an official consensus on how they got there, most scientists believe that uplifting air currents on Earth pushed the plankton into space. To the...
Last weekend, leaders from 196 countries approved the first global agreement aimed at limiting greenhouse gas emissions, a milestone in human history. President Obama has been considered a deciding figure in the agreement, as Obama’s climate change agenda has been...
There’s something visceral and eerie about hearing the song of the last male Hawaiian o-o (pronounced oh-oh). The male’s mating call was recorded by scientists prior to the species’ extinction. As the call echoes around the tropical forest, suddenly we realize there...
Most serious marine aquarists have a water mixing station. Even though we live in an age of nearly endless aquarium filtration options, water changes still rank as one of the best aquarium maintenance practices. They remove compounds like nitrate and phosphate, dilute...
Julian Sprung is one of reef keeping’s great innovators. If you’ve ever met Julian, he’s a soft-spoken guy and I imagine the wheels inside his head are always grinding away. It was Julian Sprung, along with Mike Paletta and a handful of others 20+ years ago that...
It’s almost surreal to think that Sea World will be discontinuing their killer whale show in California. It’s quite possible that this will follow in other states, eventually culminating in the end of the epic killer whale performance. I grew up in Sea World’s golden...
So I’ve been talking about making reef aquariums carbon free. This means that energy required to power your aquarium comes from a source that doesn’t generate any carbon footprint. Years ago this was either impossible, or extraordinarily expensive. Personal wind...
I like to experiment in my personal reef tanks. As long as the experiment doesn’t harm any tank inhabitants, and doesn’t risk my personal sanity, I am willing to give it a shot. Some experiments turn into permanent methodologies. Zeovit usage was an experiment I...
Recently a news report from the U.K. was circling around social media, detailing how a man sent his wife and son on vacation while he installed a massive aquarium in their home. Since the enormous tank would cripple their existing home, Martin Lakin had to demolish...
2015, the year of the sheep, is winding down; it’s a nice time to reflect on the changes in reef-keeping that have taken place, whether it's the introduction of new technology or a change in methodology. Since I like to stay on top of current trends, and will try just...