Florida reefs get Google Maps love

Google Maps took its Street View below the sea a few years back mapping the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and now the technology is coming to Florida’s reefs as US scientists are learning to use specialized fisheye lenses underwater in…

Reef Builders Spotlight: Jesus Larralde of Farside Tropicals

Here at ReefBuilders, we occasionally shine the spotlight on people who have an impact on the marine aquarium hobby with recognition of a “Reef Builder Spotlight”. This month, we’re featuring Jesus Larralde the president of Farside Tropicals based in Miami, Florida. I was first introduced to…

Florida officially bans import of Lionfish

Ret Talbot has just reported on his “Good Catch Blog” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commissioners today have unanimously proposed a set of rules that ban the importation of lionfish from the Pterois genus and sets other rules for the harvest and possession…

Battle to save Miami coral from destruction

Colin Foord from Coral Morphologic is battling time, strong currents and eels in the effort to save corals in Miami’s harbor from being blasted to smithereens by the Army Corp of Engineering during the $220 million Deep Dredge project to…

Special floating lab studies “Aliens of the Sea” to unlock answers about marine biodiversity

A unique project is taking a closer look at one of the many marvels from the sea — the comb jelly. Led by University of Florida neurobiologist Leonid Moroz, the research team has developed a unique floating lab that includes…

Coral Morphologic has a unique twist to the idea of a ‘public’ aquarium in Miami

Coral Morphologic has a unique and inexpensive approach to a public aquariums in Miami — creating a more welcoming area around the city’s South Pointe Park. By taking advantage of the abundant marine life right under Miami’s nose, the city can…

Friday Smorgasbord: Strange jellyfish, shark schools and more

March is here and as much of the country is just getting over a massive series of snow storms, it feels like spring will never get here! Have no fear, since we have some fascinatingly strange news to share today…

Ocean View Aquariums is an exemplary new fish store in Miami

One of the best and most enriching aspects of traveling around and seeing how people do reef aquariums and fish stores across the country and the world is finding truly inspiring places like Ocean View Aquariums. Barely open for just…

Friday Smorgasbord: Iron dumping, octoflash, koi trees, ancient armored fish and ginormous eyes

Nothing like a little conspiracy to kickstart this Friday’s edition of the smorgasbord. Claims that a rogue iron-dumping experiment happened off the Canadian cost near British Columbia is making waves.  According to reports, The Haida Salmon Restoration Corporation allegedly spread 220,462 pounds of iron…

No fewer than four new species of zoanthids discovered in Florida waters

Colin Foord recently co-authored a peer-reviewed scientific paper on four new species of Zoanthids in Florida waters. The zoanthids were discovered by expeditions undertaken by Coral Morphologic and several of the new species are occasionally offered on the Caribbean livestock…