Could Purple Non-Sulfur Bacteria Change Reefing?

The future of the reef aquarium industry is microbial. Microbes hold many of the nuanced secrets behind the long-term health and reproduction of corals, reef fish, and invertebrates. All of these creatures are a sum of their associated microbiomes and…

The MicroBiology of Aquariums

You might think that your aquarium has a few fish, some corals, and perhaps an assortment of invertebrates that you may or may not have intentionally introduced. We all kind of  know that there’s a lot of microbial life in our…

AquaBiome: Can Reefers Benefit from an ‘ICP Test’ for Bacteria?

AquaBiome is a new company that is offering a novel kind of water test for our reef aquariums, one that gives some practical measurement and analysis of the microbiology of our captive reef ecosystems. Just like ICP opened the door…

Coral mucus impacts microbes in waters surrounding them

Have you ever noticed your corals covered in mucus and wondered, what’s up with the slime? New research suggests that corals selectively remove and promote the growth of diverse picoplankton (planktonic bacteria and archaea) communities living in coral mucus, and that…

Friday Smorgasbord: memorial markers, ravenous microbes, moons and flying fish oh my!

We can respect the ideals behind PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) but at times their actions can be a little wackadoodle and this story is definitely odd. Seems like a woman representing PETA in Irvine, California, is…