Lionfish Challenge removes 30,000 Lionfish from Florida state waters

The eighth edition of the Lionfish Challenge concluded this October, shattering previous records and crowning Baye Beauford Lionfish King, 2023. The competition saw 281 registrants embarking on 917 dive trips over a four-month period, which collectively removed 30,494 invasive Lionfish…

Levi’s Caribbean Biotope Aquarium

I’ve always personally wanted to set up an aquarium endemic to a certain area of the ocean. I recently moved across the country to Florida, and with the move, I happened to have an empty 75-gallon aquarium. I figured if…

Flamboyant Cuttlefish Survive Museum Hurricane Devastation

As we near peak Atlantic Hurricane season, one Florida public aquarium is only just starting to recover from the last one. The Baily-Matthews National Shell Museum in Sanibel Island, Florida, was devastated by Category 5 Hurricane Ian last September, which…

Florida and Mariana are Two New DeskMate Models from Eshopps

Eshopps continues injecting fun into the nano reef hobby with the launch of two new DeskMate aquarium models. The 9-gallon Peninsula style Florida and 7-gallon mini Drop-off style Mariana share all the design features of the DeskMate 4.8 gallon AIO…

100% Coral Bleaching as Florida Sea Temperatures Rise Over 100 Fahrenheit

As if Floridian corals weren’t under enough environmental pressures, this past week, temperatures hit triple digits in Florida Bay and the Keys causing 100% coral bleaching events in some areas. A world record-breaking sea surface temperature of 101.1F (38.4C) was…

Interview with a Marine Collector: Warren Hunt of Poseidon Aquatics 

Aquaculture advocate Taras Pleskun interviews a native Floridian who catches and collects saltwater fish and invertebrates for a living. Please Introduce yourself, your background, and how you got into the marine collection/aquarium industry. I’m a Florida native that grew up…

Urchins Relocated in Florida to Aid Coral Conservation

Marine scientists from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have been collecting and relocating sea urchins in an effort to aid coral reef restoration. Sea urchins help prevent invasive algae from overgrowing struggling coral reefs so…

Worldwide Corals is Sharing Their Reefing Style Through Aquarium Maintenance

Worldwide Corals has been building world-class reef aquarium displays in their retail stores for over a decade, introducing a whole generation to their unique style of presenting the most colorful corals in the world. For years WWC only took on…

Coral Restoration Foundation Awarded $2.1 Million From NOAA

CORAL RESTORATION IN FLORIDA Coral reefs along the Florida coastline just received a considerable boost from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Coral Restoration Foundation, the world’s largest reef restoration program has been awarded $2.1 million in funding…

Mote and Nature Conservancy to Restore One Million Corals in the Caribbean and Florida Keys

Mote Marine Laboratory and The Nature Conservancy are teaming up to restore coral reefs at unprecedented scales throughout the Caribbean and the Florida Keys. The collaboration officially began Sept. 12, 2016 in Miami, with the signing of a one-year memorandum…