Men who wish to know about the world must learn about it in its particular details.—Heraclitus

Life is not significant details, illuminated by a flash, fixed forever. Photographs are.—Susan Sontag

As we put the finishing touches on this largest ever issue of Reefs Magazine I’m struck by the organic resonances between the articles. Sometimes magazine issues have conscious, editorially pre-determined themes, sometimes they don’t seem to have one at all and sometimes, by some stoke of luck all the material just falls into place in a poetic way, one that enriches, engages, and provides context unexpectedly. Our fall offering is just that –a happy accident of illuminating, in-depth material that challenges us to revel in and be mindful of detail.

Our feature is from our old friend Sanjay Joshi, who delves deep into the technical aspects of producing high quality Macro Photography for Coral Reef Aquariums. We all know that good macro photography is the corollary hobby to reef keeping, and Sanjay lays out all the equipment options, the techniques, and potential pitfalls involved. He also treats us to many of his incredible photographic images. Tim Wijgerde’s Marine Life in Macro illustrates the breathtaking worlds that can be seen through close up aquarium photography. In the process, he also provides us with a primer on the basic biological characteristics of the animals we commonly keep. Next, Drew Wham begins his Identify This series, laying out a systematic and up-to-date review of the Zoanthids, detailing how through careful inspection we can accurately ID the various morphs and “trade names” to true species. Richard Aspinall takes us underwater to explore the various Reef Zones of the Indo-pacific asking us to pay close attention to nature and let it guide us in the ways we set up our systems. In Skeptical Reefkeeping VIII, Rich Ross returns along with newcomer Kevin Erickson to remind us that words matter and they ask us to pay close attention to the words we use when we talk about the livestock we keep. James Fatherree details the various types of Caulerpa Macroalgae available to hobbyists and Ken Wingerter completes his 3-part series on the taxonomy, biology, and culture of the tiny, but invaluable Rotifers. Finally, Paul Whitby examines his own inner psyche as a self-confessed and unrepentant Wrassaholic in our latest Fish Tales offering. Throw in the fantastic art gallery photographs of Nick Hobgood and there is plenty of detail for everyone.

A special word of thanks to Gary Parr for use of one of his coco worm image on the homepage. If you happen to be attending MACNA please stop by the Reefs.com booth and say hi.

As always, happy reefing.

Randy