by AquaNerd | Jul 17, 2014 | Corals, Science
We’ve seen some pretty awesome chalices in our day, but this one is probably going to rank right up near the top of our list of all time favorites. Called the Acid Patchwork Echinophyllia, this rainbow colored colony from Unique Corals is totally different from the other multi-colored chalices that we’ve come across in recent years. Undoubtedly, there has been a huge explosion of out-of-this-world chalices, but this one differs from the rest of the pack in that its colors look like they were dripped onto the coral canvas. Most of the chalices we’ve seen have a distinct separation of colors, but the Acid Patchwork piece blends and layers the colors so much better. According to Unique Corals, this maricultured chalice has been in captivity for several weeks, maintaining its ‘”acid-etched” conglamoration of color’ under LED lighting. The price on this insane coral was set at just under $1100, but it has been marked as “out of stock” on the site. by AquaNerd | Jul 15, 2014 | Corals, Fish, Science, Tanks
Coral fluorescence is one of the many mysterious things that draws aquarium hobbyists to reef tanks like moths to a flame. And it apparently draws a lot of divers to venture out on dangerous night dives as well. Armed with intense blue lighting rigs, the crew from FireDive Gear took to Masbat Bay in the Red Sea to view various marine organisms, and the resulting footage just blows us away. Demoed in the annotated short version above, the clip shows images of the corals during the day followed immediately by a video clip of each of the fluorescing corals at night. The list of animals featured in the video includes a Tridacna maxima clam, feather starfish, hermit crab, a handful of different fish, cuttlefish, octopus, and a neon green carpet anemone. While the video above is a couple of years old, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share its beauty with all of you. by Francis Yupangco | Jul 15, 2014 | Conservation, Corals
Vanuatu, an island in the South Pacific, is trying to start a new tourism trend: Coral gardening. Last week,in Worasiviu Village on Pele Island, Climate Change Coral Gardening Day was... by Francis Yupangco | Jul 10, 2014 | Conservation, Corals
The governments of the Philippines and Australia collectively have launched a new project, The Capturing Coral Reef and Related Ecosystem Services (CCRES), that aims to quantify the market value of the Country’s coral reef and mangroves, also known as... by Francis Yupangco | Jul 9, 2014 | Corals, Photography
Google street view is now underwater with Oceans-Street View. It’s now possible to view the current health of coral reefs of the world all in one click. The website, called Global Reef Record, is brought to us by Catlin Seaview... by Advanced Aquarist | Jul 7, 2014 | Advanced Aquarist, Corals, Invertebrates
A new study by biologists at San Diego State University and Scripps Institution of Oceanography shows that inhabited coral islands that engage in commercial fishing dramatically alter their nearby reef ecosystems, disturbing the microbes, corals, algae and fish that call the reef home.
