OUsnakebyte

I've been hearing about this for a while. It basically gets more Caribbean stonies on the list, as well as those in US Pacific waters.

Well, it's (technically) my weekend off, but the pair scheduled to work aren't gonna be able to make it in today. Looks like I get to take the heel-toe express in this morning. Ah, the joy of living close and being able to walk to work...

I second this, as bristle worms often get a bad reputation for stuff like this. Not that it *couldn't* happen, but unlikely.

I whole-heartily AGREE!

Makes me wanna go diving... Indo-pac style!

That's great. I had 5 different people email me this today, and then I saw it on the evening news - apparently 1st time an invertebrate is known to exhibit tool use. INVERTS RULE!

Yeah, it pretty much did. The difficulty is feeding it and keeping the fish (mostly those fearless wrasses) from picking food out of it... Cheers Mike

Did they rule out a myco infection?

I actually do still have it. I'll dremmel you a frag soon. It has recovered nicely. Ummm... huh? I mean, I know what the Geico money eyes are, and they don't follow me around b/c we have Geico! Which pic are you talking about? Thanks. Nearly all of the back glass has been settled by sexual recruits of P. damicornis. In some places it has encrusted the back, others it has formed the typical cauliflower formation. I'm planning on wiping out most on the right side, and I have a soli I want there. Cheers Mike

Ahhh... check. Yup, I do that as well - very convenient. Although, I find kalkwasser more difficult that open and pour - at least without being covered in the stuff... Cheers Mike

Could you make it uber-convenient for everyone and post your 5-gallon bucket mixture recipe for us to view... Cheers Mike

Last December, Robie came over and helped me re-aquscape my tank. We got rid of about half the rock, and it really opened up the tank (120 gallon). December 2008: Right side, 12/08 Left side, 12/08 Left again, 12/08 And, here it is a year later: 12/09 I also FINALLY plumbed in my closed loop and removed the Tunze and maxi jet w/ mod powerheads. Finally, no PH's in the display. I just need an updated pic. Cheers Mike

I have to work, but I hope to be able to leave early to attend.

Also, is there a "mother-of-all-controllers" that I should get that will "do everything," including automatically adjust seasonal temperatures? Cheers Mike

Hey all - I don't use controllers, so I know very little about them. I am wondering if there is a model of controller out there that will simulate seasonal temperature variations - heat things up in the summer a few degrees and cool them down in the winter. I know I can do this manually, but it's too easy for someone to miss a check here and there, so I would like to have this parameter steady. Of course, I would need the controller to operate both a heater and a chiller. Throw in pH, and it sounds like the greatest thing ever! Cheers Mike

The panel discussion that was part of a two-day Caribbean Acroporid conference that the zoo hosted last month is now up on the website. You can view it here: Coral Panel Discussion The actual discussion does not begin until about 19 minutes into the video, FYI. Cheers Mike

One of the coolest fishes I've ever had. King Midas - he use to perch atop my purple cap... I have not had one in quite some time... Cheers Mike

As Far As I Know.

Agreed. That is the first thing I thought when I saw the pics. Lookin' good! Cheers Mike

I'm having sympathy pains right now... Hey - where do you get your muriatic acid from? Home Depot?

I have a frag sitting in my tank. I'll see if I can get a pic. As soon as it grows enough and looks healthy enough to frag, I'll see about cutting you a piece. Cheers Mike

Yeah, that is him alright. I'm sorry I don't recall more of his presentation, but the link Boret posted probably sums it up. Ahhh... yes, he was selling CDs at the talk. Does he still give talks with sunglasses on? (sorry I can't seem to get past that...)

No one, as of yet, has been able to explain the increasing thermally-induced bleaching events. Bob was on target with his graph of human population explosion. And I'm sorry I cannot accept the "normal reef progression" arguement - though it seems no one is yet stating that (happily). The original post was "I am all for leaving the smallest carbon footprint possible." To me, reducing 'carbon footprint' = lessening the effects of climate change, not general pollution. I assume this is what the general public is trying to combat when they say they want to lessen their carbon footprint. It, therefore, seems counterintuitive to me to want to lessen one's carbon footprint if the impacts are negligible. Once again, my original question was regarding anthropogenic causes of coral reef decline and wanted to be sure everyone understands that (b/c if not, we have some major backing up to do), which I admitted dove tailed from the original post and was getting off track. I HAVE NEVER SAID CORAL REEF DECLINE WAS SOLELY DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. In fact, look back on page one (b/c I am too bored/tired to go through all the process of flipping back and quoting myself) where I directly stated that if it were climate change alone, I think reefs could handle it - no proof there, just a gut feeling. You honestly think I don't know that sewage gets to reefs? Or that overfishing and destructive fishing practices degrade ecosystems? I have specifically NOT gone deeply into the myriad of other stressors b/c it was out of the scope of the original post. Bob - I have little doubt that you understand the impacts - it was just your post I was quoting... Really? Do I need to go into how humans are responsible for reef degradation? I am in denial of nothing. If some researchers/scientists have knowingly and intentionally falsified data to support a hypothesis, be rewarded grants, etc. - regardless of their field of study - then I say let their heads roll. Trust me... I remain unphased.... Nor do I. Agreed. Also agree. I have never more vehemently concurred with anything more than the above statement! As always, cheers everyone, Mike

Nathan, I appreciate the viewpoints of a skeptic - in any field. But as Dave said earlier, you have been posting this type of stuff for years. Now you claim to have invested major dollars in a low carbon-footprint lifestyle (my compliments, by the way). Why bother, if you never believed it to begin with? Either you are lying (I doubt it) or you yourself must understand the principle forces at work here - taking fossil fuel laid down during the carboniferous and releasing it to the atmosphere. Whether soaked up by the oceans and rainforests, mingling in the atmosphere, etc. it IS going to have an impact - not IF it is going to have an impact - in temperature, acidity, both, pollution, or some other factor we have yet to experience. I may just be harping on minor details now, so forgive me if this is redundant, but I want to be clear - it's not "almost certainly" or "reasonably sure". Humans are directly responsible for the current mass extinction (decline in biodiversity) we have been experiencing for the last 100-200 years. This is not restricted to coral reefs - see rainforest removal, the amphibian crisis, critically endangered tigers, gorillas, orangs, whales, and I could go on and on. By this I assume you mean humans USING fossil fuels? Why, if the impacts are negligible? Again, I'm reasonably certain that I'm just harping on semantics now, so forgive me if this is redundant, but it is not COULD BE. Mass bleaching events are thermally-induced. The number of these events is ever-increasing, and it is one of the primary forces in measurable, declining coral coverage. Individuals will bleach due to sedimentation and/or algal overgrowth, but I am referring to mass-bleaching events. Amongst coral reef scientists, that is established and well documented. This is now getting outside the original post, but as I have said, ad nauseum, there are multiple stressors at work here. When posting messages on this board, I take it for granted that everyone here knows well and understands the reasons for the decline in coral reef health witnessed and well documented over the past several decades. I assume this b/c of all people in the world, coral hobbyists understand the delicate and fragile nature of these animals. I honestly ask this next question - not to be pompous or pretentious - does everyone here understand that the recent declines in coral coverage are not the "normal order of things"? Coral reefs have declined in health due to the adverse affects of our direct and indirect environmental impacts and clearly coincide with the enormous explosion in human population growth and our corresponding advances in technology. Is that a fair assumption? Cheers Mike

We had a meeting a few years back where some guy talked about what he was doing with Goniopora and was apparently having some success. Unfortunately, I don't recall much at all from his presentation - only thing I remember was that his powerpoint wouldn't work at the last minute. Oh, and that he gave the entire presentation with his sunglasses on... in a cafeteria with no sunlight coming in... yeah... Anyone else remember more about that presentation than my feeble mind can recall? Cheers Mike