James Lawrence has been chosen to receive the Posthumous Honor of 2023 MASNA Pioneer Award for Publishing. In a press release, the Marine Aquarium Societies of North America said his trail-blazing work publishing countless articles and books for the enjoyment and educational benefit of the community has impacted us all.
“He carried this torch for decades, in most cases, longer than many of us have been involved in aquarium keeping. The knowledge he so eloquently shared had a deep and profound impact on the success of anyone who was fortunate enough to come in contact with it.”
Previous MASNA award recipients Kevin Kohen, Frank Baensch, and Ron Shimek paid tribute to the late magazine and book publisher, who passed away in May 2023.
“James Lawrence harbored a genuine passion for the aquarium hobby and marine life, which was evident in his editing skills and the publication of numerous aquarium books under Microcosm Ltd., as well as in Reef to Rainforest Media’s CORAL and AMAZONAS magazines. James possessed a unique talent for recognizing passionate and knowledgeable individuals in the reefkeeping hobby and industry, encouraging them to contribute and share their expertise with a wider audience. His efforts not only facilitated personal growth but also played a crucial role in shaping the aquarium hobby as we know it today, inspiring countless hobbyists over the years.”
—Kevin Kohen, 2012 MASNA Award Recipient
“James Lawrence was an extraordinary figure in the marine aquarium hobby and publishing industry, distinguished by his selfless support of others’ potential and accomplishments. He had a passion for aquariums and marine life and a genuine excitement to share the topic with others.”
“James and I engaged in numerous meaningful email exchanges regarding my contributions to CORAL over the years. He set high standards for CORAL’s articles but was also flexible with the content, giving people in specialized fields like myself a place to share their work. He was supportive and involved through each edit. His positive feedback and excitement to tell the story made you want to submit and keep submitting your best work.”
“Now, as I sit at my desk and glance at my bookshelf, I see a stack of my favorite CORAL editions and a number of Microcosm books. When I think about the knowledge and enjoyment I have gotten from these publications, I feel grateful. Thank you, James. You were a true mentor, a visionary publisher, and a hero of the marine aquarium community. Your legacy will forever live on through the pages of your publications.”
—Frank Baensch, 2018 MASNA Award Recipient
“My thoughts about James always devolve to CORAL and just exactly how special that magazine became under his tenure. James believed wholeheartedly in rigor, in the scientific sense. He wanted to publish information that was not only just on the cutting edge but also backed by rigorously peer-reviewed scientific evidence. When his editorship of CORAL began, the average aquarium hobby magazine was a collection of advertisements held together by articles that were at best anecdotal and hear-say.”
“I have had well over 150 articles published, most in CORAL, but also, particularly in the early years of this century, in just about every hobby magazine that had any interest in coral reefs or reef aquariums. I can say without any exceptions there were no editors at the time remotely focused on publishing validated information. It simply didn’t matter to them; all they wanted were words on the paper to justify advertising rates.”
“Not so, James and CORAL; I worked as a scientific advisor to him, and several times each year I had assignments to track down information some author was peddling. To the credit of most authors, their statements were supported, but there were a surprising number who were just publishing fiction, including well-known authors who appeared to be simply inventing information.”
“Unlike most people in our hobby, James was aware just how ‘thin’ our knowledge base of coral reefs in particular and marine ecology in general was. For context, I need to give some idea of how little was/is known about these topics, so here is an example. Coral reefs used to be, and sometimes still are, said to be “islands of rich biological diversity in an oceanic desert.” Such a statement never made any sense, but that never stopped anybody from using it.”
“Work over the last 40 years has shown that the so-called ‘oceanic desert’ is exceedingly rich in gelatinous zooplankton, as well as a diverse array of other smaller plankton, and that corals, and reef animals in general, eat a phenomenal amount of animal biomass each day, brought to them by the currents that wash over the reefs. The earlier statement was based on inadequate sampling, improper sampling gear, and a biased perception of what was necessary for a system to thrive.”
“As editor of CORAL James was aware of how tenuous our understanding of these systems and their constituent organisms was. That realization, I think, made his emphasis on good data and resource information understandable. There are many other attributes he possessed that made him an excellent editor.”
“Nevertheless, it was his realization and understanding that as hobbyists, our knowledge base was very limited, and that it was necessary to continually emphasize learning and understanding. That was special. Only by doing that could we properly care for our organisms. In my eyes, he dedicated and drove CORAL to that end, and helped prolong the lives of many special creatures.”
—Ron Shimek, 2001 MASNA Award Recipient
MASNA also Posthumously Honored Reef Builders Managing Editor Jake Adams, who passed away in October 2022. He receives the 2023 MASNA Award.
“The MASNA Awards have a rich history of highlighting the people who have had the greatest impact on the aquarium community, and we continue to celebrate these individuals and their influence on the hobby. This year marks a distinct and poignant moment in the annual awards. In our vibrant, close-knit community, we have recently bid farewell to two remarkable and deeply influential people. MASNA is honored to celebrate the legacies of these two instrumental leaders, who made extraordinary contributions in driving the progress and development of this science, art, hobby, and industry that has captivated us all.”
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