But that doesn’t mean such hopes aren’t right, that efforts are futile, or that this video isn’t worth sharing with as many people as you can, via your own reef blogs and websites:

Coral reefs and climate change, a message for Copenhagen.

Further reading:

1. Coral reefs recover from 2004 tsunami
2. Seacology’s Indonesia EcoReef project restores coral reefs with ceramic structures
3. Three new deep water reefs discovered off the coast of Florida

The method delivers safe, low voltage electrical currents via cables, and through seawater, to submerged metal reef structures. This causes dissolved minerals to crystallise out onto the structures as a white limestone substrate (similar to that which naturally makes up coral reefs and tropical white sand beaches), meanwhile accelerating the formation and growth of the skeletons of corals and other shell-bearing animals – at two to six times natural rates.

The structures eventually become rapidly colonised by a full range of coral reef organisms, including fish, crabs, clams, octopus, lobster and sea urchins. Species typically found in healthy reef environments are given an electrical advantage over the weedy organisms which often overgrow them in reefs stressed by humans.

According to Dr Goreau, if the current is maintained, coral reefs can often be restored in areas where water quality would prevent their recovery by any other method.

Read the full story at Science Alert.

Further reading:

1. Seacology’s Indonesia EcoReef project restores coral reefs with ceramic structures
2. New coral reef discovered off Brazil
3. Octopus squeezed into a tight spot at the Boston Aquarium

According to the full statement from the University of Washington News:

Compared to other anglerfish, members of H. psychedelica have no lures. Most anglerfish have lures growing out of their foreheads. The other anglerfish sit right out in the open on the seafloor or coral reefs, often adapting their coloring so their bodies are camouflaged, but the lures are meant to be noticed so the fish wave, wiggle and sometimes blink the lures on and off in order to attract pray, Pietsch says.

Instead of all that showiness, members of H. psychedelica are shy and secretive, probably one of the reasons they weren’t previously spotted. When a member of H. psychedelica is uncovered by divers it usually seeks a new place to hide within 10 or 15 minutes.

And while other anglerfish change their coloring depending on the environment, the new species appears to maintain its wild striping no matter the surroundings.

You can clearly see the crazy movement in the video below.

Histiophryne psychedelica is described in this month’s issue of Copeia.

Further reading:

1. Dracula fish species discovered in aquarium shipment
2. Debelius pygmy seahorse one of five newly discovered species
3. University of Florida breeds spotted green puffer fish

Governments are preparing to breach the worldwide whaling ban, legitimising commercial killing of the giant creatures for the first time in more than 20 years.

Key whaling and anti-whaling nations have thrashed out a plan at a series of unpublicised closed-door meetings to allow Japan to kill the leviathans for gain, after outlawing it for two decades. It is to be presented to a special meeting of the official International Whaling Commission (IWC) early next month.

Environmentalists say that the plan amounts to “waving the white flag” to Japan and they fear that it will usher in a new era of legal whaling around the world.

Basically, because the IWC is toothless, it’s given up pretending it can bite.

Instead, anti-whaling nations such as the U.S. are tipped to reach a compromise with Japan to restore legitimacy to the whaling trade body, because of – not despite – it manifestly proving its limits.

Am I living in the same world as everyone else?

I’m an animal lover but I eat (humanely reared) animals and keep fish caught in the wild, so I’m compatible with shades of grey.

But do we understand what sort of harvest is sustainable? Should whales be hunted at all even as we denude the oceans of their food, with the krill harvest off Antarctica potentially the final straw? I don’t think so.

Incidentally, this isn’t an East versus West issue. We’re happy in Europe and the U.S. to eat endangered blue-fin tuna, for instance, so there’s no room for xenophobia.

The world has to come together and manage its oceans properly or there’s going to be nothing left – to eat or to marvel at.

Further reading:

1. Japan attempts to restore coral reef by raising Acropora from spawn
2. Florida may tighten reef life collection rules
3. Global warming turning oceans acidic ten times faster than thought

Please spread the news to anyone who might care; we’re really running out of time from a biodiversity point of view, let alone global warming.

Further reading:

1. Global warming turning oceans acidic ten times faster than thought
2. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef will stop growing by 2050
3. Seacology’s Indonesia EcoReef project restores coral reefs with ceramic structures

Lionfish: The aquarium favourite poses a threat to Florida reefs

We’ve covered the dangers of Caribbean lionfish (Pterois volitans) on AquaDaily before. For those not up-to-speed, the problem is lionfish came to the Caribbean either via international shipping or else release from hobbyists (I suspect the former) and they are now said to be devastating local fish populations.

The news has developed with reports lionfish have made it to Florida reefs:

“It’s another huge challenge for the tropical marine ecosystem, on par with habitat degradation and overfishing,” said Dave Score, superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

“Lionfish are altering the diversity of an area that has taken hundreds of thousands of years to adapt and evolve.”

If it were possible for scientists to eradicate the lionfish by fishing them out and destroying them, I’d be 100% behind it.

But not everyone is so sure that’s the right approach. Vlad, from the often provocative blog frag’d it argues scientists are both over-reacting and being unimaginative in their solutions, writing:

A modest reefer like myself could easily throw a couple of cents their way.

Could introducing Hawaii’s yellow tangs or convict tangs help with the fish numbers? What about introducing their natural predators such as eels, frogfish and scorpionfish? Could they displace the lionfish population while keeping smaller fish to reproduce?

Just ask yourself this… if this lionfish can exist in other parts of the world without ruining their ecosystems, then why can’t we emulate the same here?

I definitely agree with Vlad’s excellent point that marine biologists should explore and interact with the marine hobby more. As he says elsewhere in his post, we’ve been way ahead of the scientists in a number of areas.

I think it was reef writer Julian Sprung who once said he was discussing fragging corals with someone from academia, and the other guy said “Interesting idea, it might just work”… years after every hobbyist and their eight-year old son had been doing it!

But I’m not sure we fishkeepers are qualified to offer much input into tackling the lionfish issue in the Caribbean.

The enemy of our enemy is our friend?

Personally, I think lionfish probably do pose a serious threat, to the reef ecology as we know it.

In time something will surely emerge to keep lionfish numbers in check. The trouble is we haven’t got time if we or our grandchildren want to enjoy reefs rich in biodiversity (assuming scientists are right).

Evolution takes tens if not hundreds of of thousands of years to bring about solutions.

You already see the affects of the removal of top predators like groupers devastating Caribbean reefs, which have been utterly degraded by almost everything we can throw at them. It’s sad to look back at old pictures of Florida coral stands now long gone (naturally pollution has been at least as big an issue). I even remember seeing healthy reefs in the old TV show, Flipper.

Introducing one predator to combat another introduced predator has a very bad track record. For example, see the appalling history of the cane toad, which farmers introduced across the South Pacific to control pests, and which has gone on to destroy local fauna.

A better argument for not worrying about the lionfish is that nothing can be done about it anyway, in practical terms.

But I don’t draw much comfort from that. A marine biologist told me a while ago that within a few decades, a combination of global warming and international shipping would mean that all the coastlines of the temperate seas would feature largely the same (far less diverse) range of seaweed, crustaceans, fish and other lifeforms.

We’re leaving the world in a far worse state than we found it.

Further reading:

1. Invasive lionfish eating up Caribbean reef fish
2. Scientists describe five new barbs from Myanmar
3. Three new deep water reefs discovered off the coast of Florida

However, it’s not simply a case of the poorest communities over-fishing the most, according to coverage of the report on CNN:

People in moderately developed places that have few amenities such as road, schools and electricity often tend to depend less on fishing, but they also have more access to engine-powered boats, spear guns, and other technologies that can rapidly deplete some fish species, said Joshua Cinner of James Cook University in Australia in the report.

Those locations also tended to have fewer traditional village rules to limit fishing and national governments that are too weak to effectively enforce fishery regulations.

“In short, they have the technology to plunder their reefs, but not the institutions to protect them or the levels of development that allow for sufficient alternatives to fishing,” Cinner said.

The report, by James Cook University in Australia, said the sustainability of coral reefs will depend on developing countries avoiding the poverty trap – a situation when communities are forced to destroy the resources they rely on due to a lack of alternatives.

Further reading:

1. New coral reef discovered off Brazil
2. Deep sea coral reef found off Tasmania
3. Coral reefs recover from 2004 tsunami

The Debelius pygmy seahorse is less than one-inch tall

A flurry of new seahorse discoveries has culminated in this beautiful photo from National Geographic of the Debelius pygmy seahorse.

Like the other new discoveries, the Debelius seahorse is barely an inch tall. It is named after Helmut Debelius, the underwater photographer familiar to crusty old marine aquarists like me for his classic sealife books such as Armoured Knights of the Sea.

According to National Geographic’s Helen Scales (great name for an aquatic journalist!):

After initial sightings in 1993, it took over a decade to find the specimens…

“This is a great honor for me,” Debelius said.

Despite having several other marine creatures named after him, Debelius confessed he was excited to have a ’son’ in the seahorse family.

The five seahorses, described by science in December 2008 and January 2009 studies and all found in small ranges in the Red Sea and Indonesia, are the first to be discovered in five years.

Be sure to check out the other four gorgeous photos over in the National Geographic article.

Further reading:

1. Dracula fish species discovered in aquarium shipment
2. Blue Reef Aquarium breeds short-snouted seahorse
3. Histiophryne psychedelic: A crazy new fish species

Frogs provide a fun alternative to fish in a nature pond

(Image by: belgianchocolate)

Over the past 100 years, pondlife has been in retreat as natural wetlands have been drained and old farm ponds filled in. One excellent way to help arrest the decline is to create a nature pond in your back garden.

Any body of water is a haven for wildlife, and you’ll be surprised just how popular your nature pond will become with the local plants and animals. Even if you live in a big city, you’ll soon find your pond is colonized by a wide-range of interesting flora and fauna.

Here are 10 tips on making the local wildlife feel at home.

1. Any sized pond will attract wildlife

If you’ve only got a small area that you can dedicate to a nature pond, don’t give up. Even a tiny pond made from waste liner offshoots or a dustbin lid will provide a natural water feature – and give some animals a home.

Position a small pond in partial shade, as otherwise algae can be a problem. Make sure the pond doesn’t dry out in summer, but in cold areas you’ll have to let it freeze in winter.

A larger pond of six-feet or more at its widest point will provide lots more ecological niches for wildlife. But a small pond is much better than no pond, so do the best you can.

2. Position your pond away from trees

If it’s to remain a pond not a muddy puddle, place your nature pond away from trees that shed leaves. Falling leaves can quickly silt up a pond, as well as providing too much shade and so stopping aquatic plants from growing.

The ideal nature pond gets a few hours of sunlight each day, to warm it up and power the photosynthesis of aquatic plants.

3. Provide hidden depths

Try to include both broad shallow areas and deeper water in your pond.

Shallow water will warm up quickly and encourage the growth of micro-algae and the tiny creatures that feed on it. Deeper water of at least 24″ in depth should stay liquid in winter. Such deep water gives pond wildlife a refuge in the coldest months.

4. Give your pond slopes and shelves

The ideal nature pond has some gentle sloping areas that run to the edge of the water. These slopes allow certain animals to access the pond, but more importantly they provide a way for others to get out. Hedgehogs, for instance, will drown in a pond they can’t scramble out of.

Shelves positioned 6-12″ below the water surface can support baskets of marginals, rushes and other plants. Waterlilies and oxygenating plants are best planted in baskets in the deeper areas.

5. Use a modern pond liner

It’s possible to build a pond by ‘puddling’ clay, but I can tell you from experience it’s not easy to keep one. Farm ponds relied on the trampling of sheep and cows to stop them cracking – not something your cat or dog is likely to do for you in your back yard!

It’s much easier to build your pond using a modern liner such as butyl, which can be shaped and folded to provide exactly the pond you require. Installed properly, such liners last decades.

6. A small pump won’t hurt your natural pond

You don’t want a fountain shaped like a mermaid in your nature pond, but a small pump is a good addition.

Gentle water movement will increase the gas exchange and improve circulation in your pond. You may even want to create a small stream or mini-waterfall.

A solar powered pump is a nice compromise, keeping your nature pond ‘off-grid’. Consider removing the pump in winter, to enable the water to naturally settle into temperature zones that wildlife can use as best suits them.

7. Plant the margins as well as the pond

Don’t just think about pond plants. The best nature ponds have only vague boundaries, as the marginal planting at the edges gives way to hostas and rushes, which in turn bleed into the garden borders.

Such planting provides a safe way for wildlife to move unmolested by predators such as cats and birds. It also looks more natural.

8. What about a bog garden?

While you’re thinking about near-pond planting, consider creating a bog garden. A bog garden is simply a wetter area of ground near the pond, which you can create by burying a piece of pond liner in such a way as to stop some but not all of the water seeping away.

Some pond experts suggest you have the lip of your pond spill over into your bog garden, so that after heavy rain the water runs over the pond edge and into the bog garden. I don’t suggest that though, since you’re just as likely to find mud and detritus running back into your pond.

To really make wildlife feel at home in your bog garden, pile up some logs or rocks to give animals such as toads and newts a place to shelter when they’re not in your pond.

9. No fish – except tiny natives

Ever fed small live food such as daphnia to your tropical fish tank? Did any of the tiny creatures last more than two minutes before being snapped up? Thought not!

Fish are voracious predators, and it doesn’t take many to denude a pond of natural life. I’d keep fish out of any pond less than six-foot in width or length.

If your pond is bigger than that, a few small fish such as sticklebacks won’t hurt. It’s very entertaining to watch them build nests in the shallows, and to hover in the water as they hunt their prey.

10. Keep it clean

So your natural pond is built and planted up, your marginals are blooming, and animals have started mysteriously arriving to live in your pond.

Job done? Not quite.

Even a nature pond will benefit from a helping hand. True natural ponds come and go as pools are formed and silt up over time. Presuming you want to keep your pond for years to come, I’d suggest you:

• Clear marginal planting as it begins to die back
• Give the pond a dredge with a net to remove leaves and gunk
• Net floating leaves before they sink in autumn

Carefully inspect anything you take from your pond to make sure you’re not throwing away the wildlife you’ve worked hard to attract!

One idea is to pile the waste by the pond edge for a few days before composting. This way, smaller animals such as dragonfly larvae, newts and snails have a chance to crawl back into the water.

Bonus tip: Let your pond life come naturally

Do the planting yourself in spring, but let animals find your pond naturally.

Dragonfly seem to have a radar for water, and will often be spotted within 24 hours. It might be a year or two before you see any frogs or newts but come they will, especially if your pond is near to another natural body of water in a local park or preserve.

Note that it’s illegal to disturb many threatened native species. In the UK, you can only move Great-Crested Newts with a licence, for example.

If you find protected animals in your pond, prepare to be a nature warden as well as a pond owner!

Further reading:

1. A lovely lost nature aquarium blog
2. Coral reefs recover from 2004 tsunami
3. More dead zones in the ocean discovered

According to reports on the deep sea reef, some of the strange creatures discovered include:

• A 50cm tall carnivorous sea squirt, which captures prey in its funnel in a similar way to a Venus fly trap
• A sponge with a ‘waffle-like’ appearance
• Millions of round, purple-spotted sea anemones
• 10,000 year-old corals

The reef is a kilometer beneath the surface of the water, but it is showing signs of man-made stress and disease:

Scientists who took part in the US$2 million four-week expedition found that most reef-forming coral deeper than 4,200 feet (1,300 meters) in the area were newly dead. Researchers will study samples of the coral to try and determine whether the creatures are dying because of ocean warming, disease, a rise in ocean acidity or some other reason.

“Mathematical models predict that we could be seeing impacts of ocean acidification in this region,” one of the expedition’s chief scientists, Ron Thresher of Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization.

If acidification is proven to be the cause of the deep water reef system’s demise, scientists suspect the same process will damage shallower portions of the deep reefs over the next 50 years.

Further reading:

1. Three new deep water reefs discovered off the coast of Florida
2. How to get a job as a deep sea biologist
3. New coral reef discovered off Brazil