Naked Science Forum
General Science => General Science => Topic started by: blobster on 19/11/2009 16:34:05
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We moderners are learning a lot about coral reefs and marine science and we have also learned how to impact them negatively. At the same time new techniques are being discovered to produce corals, demand on the hobby side of the equation is removing more and more corals from the ocean. So on one side of the equation we are able to produce corals to reseed real reefs after natural or manmade disasters, but as the complexity of coral reef husbandry is removed by common practice its also placing a demand for better and better corals, ie ones we can't produce widescale so it seems we are hurting the reefs as fast as we are learning to conserve them.
These ecosystems in this vid are a prime example of new science. These tiny reef models grow acropora easily which is still one of the most exclusive corals one can keep in a marine tank, but these are built from simple wal mart supplies. These systems aren't just for novelty, they bring about observations related to coral science such as coral allelopathy (chemical warefare), how water volumes transmit, mute, and enhance terpenoid chemical production and many other aspects of marine science that was once the exclusive domain of the university-level lab. The fact anyone can now keep corals in their house with limited knowledge and budget is sure to continue shaping our effect on the world, both positively and negatively, how do you think aquarium science will exist in the next ten years if this is what we can do now?
the vid:
blobster
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All very nice and well done, but why are you trying to present this as a question when you're really just trying to proselytise?
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well I was thinking if no one can envision the impacts caused by coral reef aquariums becoming as common as fishbowls were in the last 50 years these may at least serve as fodder for the perpetually cynical and give you something to quip about so you can stay witty in public, mr cool.
The point it, the greatest changes in coral reef science have come in the last 5 years and it's progressing as fast as the computer revolution. The explosion of the marine aquarium/ reef hobby has removed more coral from the ocean than ever before (for sale purposes) but it's also forwarding our understanding of science in ways that can be utilized for replenishment and production, these above are simple models of what was absolutely impossible only 5 or 10 years ago. Its to spur thought buzzkill, I guess now is your que to respond flaming and totally redirect the intent of my thread, don't you have a political forum you could visit or something for a while? I would really rather talk to aquaculture scientists, or hear from other marine aquarists who are either part of the solution or part of the problem and how they see it in the next ten years. Okay you get one more witty comeback then *please can we get this back on track for marine biology?
B
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You may well have a wholly admirable agenda, but your attitude leaves much to be desired.
Newcomer or not, I suggest you adopt a civil manner, if you want others to engage with you.
As to the science, the system you have shown is far too small and controlled to be regarded as a typical reef environment. As you rightly wrote, a coral reef is a highly complex environment, subject to regular and infrequent visitors as well as its permanent inhabitants. It is also subject to currents and the content of the water the currents may bring, the Sun and phases of the Moon, temperature fluctuations and, of course, natural predation, including Parrot fish and the highly destructive Crown of Thorns.
Your model can only be used to study the coral lifecycle under ideal conditions. Whether any information gained would be of use in protecting wild coral reef, I rather doubt.
As to growing coral in such circumstances for the purpose of supplying the trade, in order to alleviate their requirements from natural sources, I think there is a problem here, whereby, the more readily available supply, the more the demand. This can lead to popularity of the hobby, which, in turn, leads to demand outstripping supply. It is then that the trade turn to illicit supply, putting the reef at danger again. Nurturing captive supply could be self defeating.
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Thanks for your response I can tell you have given the matter thought, now this is where I like it. You guys aren't exactly welcoming so don't act like I showed up all trolling or disrespectful or unwelcoming of new ideas or anything :) don't quit your day jobs to be ambassadors for your site lol jj don't get all mad. From what I read above, I typed very civilly, and from exact experience with decent grammar and scientific backround, hence my visit to a science forum...
The point is that when you can remove all the challenge of growing corals on a large scale, ie by making them cost 200 to setup fully stocked, perhaps you can quadruple the current inland bioloading of corals, to reseed real reefs after natural or man made bleaching events. That is a potential positive effect of this kind of study, only because your guess lacked any :)
Another *positive effect of the studies I showed above is that when you turn on 20 million people to coral reefkeeping in a way so simple it makes pure skeptics out of those who haven't asked any questions, you can have faster innovation because it's in the hands of people who don't have to be part of the exclusive guild of marine aquarists/technicians any longer...anyone can run these off a two page instruction sheet. There is some direct science behind that assertion, rather than saying Im lying how about we just trade knowledge man you might catch a few ideas off these and I may catch a few from your knowledge of captive marine science.
Right now, coral production is exclusive to large venues but it is gaining popularity in the home environment. These reefs are no more unstable than a 180 gallon tank, if we could continue to duel a little biology back and forth about the matter we'll that'd be what I showed up for. Nice to meet you all I figured I'd meet some good guys who can challenge some new idea you are ok in my book.