Islamorada Conservation and Restoration Education are recruiting marine science undergraduates to work in the Florida Keys. The paid coral restoration internship will involve working locally in the Islamorada area, collaborating with local dive operations, teaching, caring for transplanted corals, conducting…
Rare Hybrid Hawksbill-Green Sea Turtle Joins Tour de Turtles Race in Florida
A rare hybrid hawksbill-green sea turtle is off to the races following her release from a Florida Keys Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital. The sea turtle named “Maisy” will participate in a long-distance online race that follows the migration of sea turtles…
Florida reefs are dissolving away faster, earlier than expected
Ocean acidification is much worse than imagined, as the limestone structure that forms the foundation of Florida’s coral reefs are actually dissolving dissolving away sooner than ever expected. According to a new study published in Global Biogeochemical Cycles, research showed the upper…
Rock Beauty Angelfish: a Finicky Feeder Best Left in the Sea
On one of my earliest dives down in the Florida Keys back in the 1990s, a gorgeous yellow and black angelfish caught my attention as I drifted over a section of reef. In my mind’s eye, I envision the angel…
An early start to the 2015 Caribbean coral spawn
Corals are known for their synchronistic spawning, typically a week after the last full moon in August. This year with a late blue moon in July the spawning happened earlier than normal. Teams from the Steinhart Aquarium, Seaworld, Akron Zoo, Georgia…
The French Angelfish: Pretty, Curious, and Well Worth the Tank Space!
One of my more enduring memories of diving in the Florida Keys was coming across a pair of French angelfish (Pomacanthus paru) gliding in unison above the reef. Unlike so many other fishes that dashed into hiding as I approached,…
Lionfish Invasion: An Update on Successes
I still remember the first time I encountered an invasive lionfish. It was in the late spring of 2010 during a scuba dive on the North Wall of Grand Cayman. For those unfamiliar, the North Wall is where the coral…
The Anatomy of an Invasion: Lionfish
As iconic ornamental marine fish, Pterois spp. are coveted for their unique beauty which is bookended by elegant (but venomous), banner-like finnage. Native to the Indo-Pacific region, lionfish were reportedly discovered in South Florida as early as 1985 with sightings…
Burrowing Beauty: Yellowhead Jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons)
Since I first set eyes on a wild specimen while scuba diving in the Florida Keys, I’ve been enamored with the yellowhead, a.k.a. pearly, jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons). Though not the most chromatically gifted fish in the sea, this burrowing beauty…
Photosynthetic Gorgonians for the Home Aquaria
Of all the amazing corals that are available to the reef aquarium hobbyists nowadays, gorgonians are frequently overlooked when choosing corals for our aquariums. In the wild they are a vital part of the environment; they filter water, provide sanctuary…
