From Hobbyist to Professional Aquarist - 212,000 gallons of reef

In 2008 Richard landed his dream as an aquatic biologist at the Steinhart Aquarium in the California Academy of Sciences, just in time for the migration from its temporary home to its completely rebuilt, state of the art facility in Golden Gate park which houses, among other cutting edge exhibits, a 212,000 gallon reef aquarium. This talk will discuss not only the huge reef tank project from conception to ‘completion’, but also Richard’s transition from being mostly a hobbyist (and stay at home dad) to full time aquarist at a major public aquarium.

Is that reef thing you say true, or did someone just tell it to you?

Reef keeping is as much an art as it is a science. There is so much that we don’t understand about what actually goes on inside our boxes of water that we must rely on cultivating a ‘saltwater thumb’ for success over time. Building that saltwater thumb, however, can be a daunting task. There are a million opinions on every aspect of reef keeping, and todays reefkeeper can access those opinions thru websites, magazines, online forums, or those big heavy things on the shelves at home (Books? I think that’s what they’re called). All that information seems great at first glance, but it turns out that you can find support for every aspect of the hobby regardless of how 'fringe' it may be. The question is, how do you sift through all those opinions to make decisions about what to do with your reef tank? In this presentation, we'll talk about how to deal with conflicting information, methodologies, opinions and products that are available to the modern reefkeeper.

Keeing and breeding Cephalopods

Octopus, Squid and Cuttles have captivated people since before anyone really knew anything about them. Both tiny and huge, there is something so intriguing about a wriggling mass of arms, tentacles, suckers, beaks and huge eyes that many myths and legends have risen up about these beasties. Do they attack ships and eat fisherman? Not so much, but they may try to escape from your tank and some can inject you with venom if they bite you! With their color changing abilities, apparent intelligence, boneless appendages and interactive nature, cephalopods are some of the most interesting animals to observe in the wild, or keep in home aquaria. And never has the time been better to keep these animals - we know more about which species are appropriate for captivity and how to care for them than ever before. In this talk, well cover cephs in general, their impact on human culture, the different kinds of cephs available for home tanks, husbandry, and breeding strategies with plenty of photo and video eyecandy.

Coral Farming, Fish Collecting and the Chain of Custody.

Before a coral or fish makes it to our tanks, it goes through a complex chain of custody. What happens of that chain has a large impact on the overall short and long term health of the animals. Several years ago I had the opportunity to consult on a fish collecting station/coral farm in Tonga. The experience was amazing, and although the project didn't work out, I am
pleased to share some the realities most hobbyists never get to see. The talk will cover the nuts and bolts of fish and coral collecting, coral mariculture, the chain of custody, and some worries and hopes for the future.

Papua New Guinea - from Reef to Muck

Papua New Guinea is part of the coral triangle and has some of the greatest underwater diversity in the word - everything from 'muck' diving to pristine reefs. This talk will be full of video and photo eye candy illustrating this amazing area of the world.

Specific talks on Wunderpus, Sepia bandensis, Metasepia and Octopus chierchiae are also available as well as custom talks on various aspects of the Aquarium hobby and trade.