by Francis Yupangco | Apr 29, 2016 | Conservation, Science
A dolphin which was released into the wild in 2013 has been spotted in a pod of 55 dolphins off the coast of South Korea. More importantly, she was spotted with a baby at her side. The Indo-Pacific dolphin was known as Sampal when she was in captivity at the Jungman... by AquaNerd | Apr 22, 2016 | Aquaculture, Conservation, Events, Industry, MACNA, Reef, Science
The Marine Aquarium Societies of North America (MASNA) is proud to announce the 2016 – 2017 MASNA Student Scholarships. MASNA is a non-profit organization composed of marine aquarium societies and individual hobbyists from North America and abroad, totaling several thousand individuals. MASNA’s goals are to: Educate our members with online and published material, the MACNA conference, and other sanctioned events. Assist in forming and promoting the growth of clubs within the hobby while ensuring a sustainable future for the marine environment. Support the efforts to eliminate abuses in collecting and transporting marine organisms through education, assistance and encouragement. Encourage the ethical growth of the marine aquarium hobby and support captive breeding/propagation efforts. To further the goals of MASNA, MASNA offers the MASNA Student Scholarship program to by Jeremy Gosnell | Apr 13, 2016 | Conservation, Science
Recently, a Canadian court ruled that the documentary film, Vancouver Aquarium Uncovered would not be removed from the internet, and that the film’s only flaw, was using the aquarium’s copyrighted photos in the... by Francis Yupangco | Apr 5, 2016 | Conservation, Science
Beluga whales are a popular aquarium exhibit animal from the arctic; easy to spot with their striking white color and lack of a dorsal fin. However, as the issue of cetaceans in captivity has become more and more controversial, the... by Saltwater Smarts | Mar 24, 2016 | Cephalopods, Conservation, Equipment, Fish, Industry, Reef, Science
For 28 years, RVS Fishworld has been training and supplying fisherman in the Philippines with the knowledge and equipment needed for sustainable net collectionThe ocean is full of the unknown, allowing people’s imaginations to run wild. Combine that with film producers, writers, or groups with a divisive agenda, and you get mockumentaries entertaining the idea of a monster shark as big as a submarine, the internet claiming cephalopods are from another planet, and articles with an extremely misguided view of the marine aquarium fish trade. Over the past several months, I have taken a stand against pure failures of journalism, vigorously commenting with factual evidence that the journalist disregarded (intentionally or unintentionally). From “Mercury Gate” to the most recent completely unsubstantiated claim that 90% of all marine fish collected today for aquarium purposes are collected with the use of sodium cyanide, these failures cannot go unchecked.After 15 years in the hobby and 10 years within the industry, I knew that figure was fabricated before the coffee spitting out of my mouth hit the table in front of me. But let’s break this down. Why the sensational headline is false In a study done in 2004 and 2005, 11 million marine fish, comprised of 1,802 species, were imported into the United States. Our marine fish come from several areas (this can vary slightly today as some collectors are restricted by governments and changes in law), including Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Cambodia, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, French Polynesia, Great Britain, Haiti, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Palau, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tonga, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, aaaaaand Yemen. Let me catch my breath here by Francis Yupangco | Mar 22, 2016 | Conservation, Tanks
The way Americans view animals in captivity has changed dramatically in the last thirty years, and it has certainty affected how SeaWorld is perceived. With the release of the 2013 documentary ‘Blackfish’ and the increased media scrutiny on the treatment...
