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Tag: corals

  • As reefs vanish, assisted coral fertilization offers hope in the Dominican Republic

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    BAYAHIBE, Dominican Republic — Oxygen tank strapped to his back, Michael del Rosario moves his fins delicately as he glides along an underwater nursery just off the Dominican Republic coast, proudly showing off the “coral babies” growing on metal structures that look like large spiders. The conservationist enthusiastically points a finger to trace around the largest corals, just starting to reveal their vibrant colors.

    Del Rosario helped plant these tiny animals in the nursery after they were conceived in an assisted reproduction laboratory run by the marine conservation organization Fundemar. In a process something like in vitro fertilization, coral egg and sperm are joined to form a new individual.

    It’s a technique that’s gaining momentum in the Caribbean to counter the drastic loss of corals due to climate change, which is killing them by heating up oceans and making it more difficult for those that survive to reproduce naturally.

    “We live on an island. We depend entirely on coral reefs, and seeing them all disappear is really depressing,” del Rosario said once back on the surface, his words flowing like bubbles underwater. “But seeing our coral babies growing, alive, in the sea gives us hope, which is what we were losing.”

    The state of corals around the Dominican Republic, as in the rest of the world, is not encouraging. Fundemar’s latest monitoring last year found that 70% of the Dominican Republic’s reefs have less than 5% coral coverage. Healthy colonies are so far apart that the probability of one coral’s eggs meeting another’s sperm during the spawning season is decreasing.

    “That’s why assisted reproduction programs are so important now, because what used to be normal in coral reefs is probably no longer possible for many species,” biologist Andreina Valdez, operations manager at Fundemar, said at the organization’s new marine research center. “So that’s where we come in to help a little bit.”

    Though many people may think corals are plants, they are animals. They spawn once a year, a few days after the full moon and at dusk, when they release millions of eggs and sperm in a spectacle that turns the sea around them into a kind of Milky Way. Fundemar monitors spawning periods, collects eggs and sperm, performs assisted fertilization in the laboratory, and cares for the larvae until they are strong enough to be taken to the reef.

    In the laboratory, Ariel Álvarez examines one of the star-shaped pieces on which the corals are growing through a microscope. They’re so tiny they can hardly be seen with the naked eye. Álvarez switches off the lights, turns on an ultraviolet light, and the coral’s rounded, fractal shapes appear through a camera on the microscope projected onto a screen.

    One research center room holds dozens of fish tanks, each with hundreds of tiny corals awaiting return to the reef. Del Rosario said the lab produces more than 2.5 million coral embryos per year. Only 1% will survive in the ocean, yet that figure is better than the rate with natural fertilization on these degraded reefs now, he said.

    In the past, Fundemar and other conservation organizations focused on asexual reproduction. That meant cutting a small piece of healthy coral and transplanting it to another location so that a new one would grow. The method can produce corals faster than assisted fertilization.

    The problem, Andreina Valdez said, is that it clones the same individual, meaning all those coral share the same disease vulnerabilities. In contrast, assisted sexual reproduction creates genetically different individuals, reducing the chance that a single illness could strike them all down.

    Australia pioneered assisted coral fertilization. It’s expanding in the Caribbean, with leading projects at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the Carmabi Foundation in Curaçao, and it’s being adopted in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Jamaica, Valdez said.

    “You can’t conserve something if you don’t have it. So (these programs) are helping to expand the population that’s out there,” said Mark Eakin, corresponding secretary for the International Coral Reef Society and retired chief of the Coral Reef Watch program of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

    But the world must still tackle “the 800-pound gorilla of climate change,” Eakin said, or a lot of the restoration work “is just going to be wiped out.”

    Burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal produces greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, driving up temperatures both on Earth’s surface and in its seas. Oceans are warming at twice the rate of 20 years ago, according to UNESCO’s most recent State of the Ocean Report last year.

    And that’s devastating for corals. Rising heat causes them to feel sick and expel the algae that live in their tissue and provide them both their striking colors and their food. The process is known as bleaching because it exposes the coral’s white skeleton. The corals may survive, but they are weakened and vulnerable to disease and death if temperatures don’t drop.

    Half the world’s reefs have been lost since 1950, according to research by the University of British Columbia published in the journal One Earth.

    For countries such as the Dominican Republic, in the so-called “hurricane corridor,” preserving reefs is particularly important. Coral skeletons help absorb wave energy, creating a natural barrier against stronger waves.

    “What do we sell in the Dominican Republic? Beaches,” del Rosario said. “If we don’t have corals, we lose coastal protection, we lose the sand on our beaches, and we lose tourism.”

    Corals also are home to more than 25% of marine life, making them crucial for the millions of people around the world who make a living from fishing.

    Alido Luis Báez knows this well.

    It’s not yet dawn in Bayahibe when he climbs into a boat to fish with his father, who at 65 still goes to sea every week. The engine roars as they travel mile after mile until the coastline fades into the horizon. To catch tuna, dorado, or marlin, Luis Báez sails up to 50 miles offshore.

    “We didn’t have to go so far before,” he said. “But because of overfishing, habitat loss, and climate change, now you have to go a little further every day.”

    Things were very different when his father, also named Alido Luis, started fishing in the 1970s. Back then, they went out in a sailboat, and the coral reefs were so healthy they found plenty of fish close to the coast.

    “I used to be a diver, and I caught a lot of lobster and queen conch,” he said in a voice weakened by the passage of time. “In a short time, I would catch 50 or 60 pounds of fish. But now, to catch two or three fish, they spend the whole day out there.”

    Del Rosario said there’s still time to halt the decline of the reefs.

    “More needs to be done, of course … but we are investing a lot of effort and time to preserve what we love so much,” he said. “And we trust and believe that many people around the world are doing the same.”

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    Follow Teresa de Miguel on X at @tdemigueles

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    Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment

    ___

    The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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  • A Discarded Plan to Build Underwater Cities Will Give Coral Reefs New Life

    A Discarded Plan to Build Underwater Cities Will Give Coral Reefs New Life

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    A combination of AI, a wild 1970s plan to build underwater cities, and a designer creating furniture on the seabed around the Bahamas might be the solution to the widespread destruction of coral reefs. It could even save the world from coastal erosion.

    Industrial designer Tom Dixon and technologist Suhair Khan, founder of AI incubator Open-Ended Design, are collaborating on regenerating the ocean floor. “Coral reefs are endangered by climate change, shipping, development, and construction—but they’re vital,” Khan explains. “They cover 1 percent of the ocean floor, but they’re home to more than 25 percent of marine life.”

    Currently, Dixon says, coastal erosion is prevented by dropping concrete structures to strengthen the coastline. These damage marine life and ecosystems—but coral could be a “regenerative replacement.”

    Dixon thought of the idea having come across architect Wolf Hilbertz’s plan to build a city underwater, then float it to the surface. In 1976, Hilbertz invented Mineral Accretion Technology: a charged metal framework that accumulates calcium carbonate in seawater like a kettle accumulates limescale in hard-water areas. The result is a limestone deposit known as Biorock.

    “It also grows back eroded reefs and regenerates coral, and species like oysters and sea grass grow twice as fast,” explains Dixon, who has experimented with the technique by creating limestone furniture off the coast of the Bahamas. The duo now collaborate, using AI to predict the outcome of importing Biorock to different sites at different water temperatures, in different weather conditions, with different amounts of solar power.

    They aim to trial their work off the coast of Northern Australia, according to Khan, and hope to recruit affected local communities to advise and champion their plans.

    This article appears in the March/April 2024 issue of WIRED UK magazine.

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    Stephen Armstrong

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  • As Mexico marks conservation day, advocates say it takes too long to list vulnerable species

    As Mexico marks conservation day, advocates say it takes too long to list vulnerable species

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    MEXICO CITY — Residents of Mexico‘s Caribbean reef island of Banco Chinchorro near Belize have hunted the meat and salmon-pink shells of queen conch for generations. As populations have shrunk in recent decades, Mexico has enforced limits and bans on catching the shellfish.

    The species has continued to decline despite these measures, which included a blanket five-year ban on catches in 2012. Still, the queen conch is one of many vulnerable species not included on Mexico’s national endangered species list.

    As Mexico’s environment agency celebrates the country’s biodiversity during Thursday’s national conservation day, conservationists say the government’s own registry for endangered species is too short and too slow to update.

    Despite a legal requirement to review and update the list at least every three years, there have been no updates since August 2019. In the meantime, species like the queen conch have lacked federal environmental protection and moved steadily toward extinction.

    The Mexican environment department did not respond to emails and text messages asking why there had not been any updates to the list since 2019.

    Officials accept proposals to list species only during set periods for public comment. That system is opaque and slow, said Alejandro Olivera, a marine biologist at the Center for Biological Diversity.

    “We shouldn’t have to wait until the government requests for new listings, because species can go extinct or populations can recover from one year to another,” Olivera said from La Paz, on the Gulf of California.

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, by comparison, accepts submissions on a rolling basis, and has to make an initial response within 90 days. It’s still not perfect, Olivera said, but better than a system of submission windows.

    “Even if you have the hard data, the scientific information to prove that one species is really endangered, the process is not open,” Olivera said. “You can’t submit the proposal just out of the blue.”

    The Mexican government most recently opened a comment window in April 2021, when the Center for Biological Diversity submitted a proposal to list the queen conch, but the group never heard back.

    One of the experts convened to adjudicate those proposals was Angélica Cervantes Maldonado, a plant biology professor at Mexico’s National Autonomous University. She acknowledged that it has taken much longer than the mandated three-year period to update the list.

    “I know the situation of species is complicated and can deteriorate very quickly, but unfortunately here the regulatory process is much slower,” she said, adding that the department expects to publish updates around April.

    Mexico’s current list was written into law in 2010, and has been updated three times since then, once to make it shorter.

    While some species like the queen conch aren’t federally protected at all, many more are listed but with a far lesser degree of danger than the science suggests, said Olivera.

    The population of elkhorn coral, for example, another Caribbean species, with large, ochre branches growing six feet tall, has declined 97% over the past four decades, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

    The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, lists elkhorn coral as critically endangered, the last step before extinction. Meanwhile elkhorn coral has the lowest level of endangerment on Mexico’s list, despite scientists’ requests to review its classification for at least five years.

    Compared to the IUCN, last updated in 2022, the Mexican government lists 250 fewer species as needing some kind of protection, and most fall under the lowest risk category. In particular, Mexico lists 535 species as endangered, its worst risk rating, whereas IUCN lists nearly 1,500 species in Mexico as either endangered or critically endangered.

    If a species is included on Mexico’s list in any category, all commercial uses of that species are banned. Higher categories come with greater restrictions, fines and the potential for criminal prosecution. The list also impacts other permitting and pollution regulations, restricting development in areas where listed species are known to live in some cases.

    The IUCN says Mexico ranks third in the word for the number of endangered species after Ecuador and Madagascar.

    Other Latin American nations also have struggled to square ponderous regulatory procedures with rapidly changing numbers of endangered species.

    In 2014, Brazil passed legislation requiring its listings to be revised every year, but since then there has only been one update, said Rodrigo Jorge, a biologist with the government’s environment department.

    To expedite the process, Jorge’s team launched an online database of endangered species this August called Salve, which can be updated on a rolling basis. Not every species needs to be studied every year, he said, but it is important that there is a regular opportunity to assess the list and make changes.

    With Salve’s help Jorge says Brazil’s list, last revised in 2022, will be updated again next year, the fastest turnaround since the country began categorizing endangered species.

    For now, however, no species can be declared “threatened” without going through the official, slower regulatory process, and the listings on Salve do not come with regulatory obligations themselves, instead relying on the “goodwill” of companies, Jorge said.

    In the build-up to Thursday’s national conservation day, the Mexican government took to social media to promote its plan to save the vaquita porpoise, a long-time victim of bycatch fishing.

    In what it called “an exercise of unprecedented transparency” in September, the department sent delegates to a UNESCO meeting in Saudi Arabia to report on progress protecting the vaquita.

    Olivera says the government “tells lies or half-truths” and that vaquita populations have continued to decline. “They claim success but… the only way to measure the success of the vaquitas is when we have more vaquitas.”

    There are as few as 10 vaquitas left in the wild, all in the Gulf of California.

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  • Climate change is hurting coral worldwide. But these reefs off the Texas coast are thriving

    Climate change is hurting coral worldwide. But these reefs off the Texas coast are thriving

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    OFF THE COAST OF GALVESTON, Texas — Divers descending into azure waters far off the Texas coast dip below a horizon dotted with oil and gas platforms into an otherworldly landscape of undersea mountains crusted with yellow, orange and pink coral as far as the eye can see.

    Some of the world’s healthiest coral reefs can be found in the Gulf of Mexico, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) off the Texas coast. Sheltered in a deep, cool habitat far from shore, the reefs in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary boast a stunning amount of coral coverage. But scientists say that like all reefs, they are fragile, and their location will only offer protection for so long in the face of a warming climate.

    “To see that much coral in one place is really magnificent — an experience that most people don’t get on reefs in this day and age,” said Michelle Johnston, the acting superintendent and research coordinator for the federally protected area.

    The sanctuary had some moderate bleaching this year but nothing like the devastation that hit other reefs during the summer’s record-breaking heat. Still, Johnston said that’s among her top concerns for the sanctuary’s future. Waters that get too warm cause corals to expel their colorful algae and turn white. They can survive if temperatures fall but they are left more vulnerable to disease and may eventually die.

    Florida’s coral reef — the world’s third-largest — experienced an unprecedented and potentially deadly level of bleaching over the summer. Derek Manzello, coordinator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Watch, said that so far this year, at least 35 countries and territories across five oceans and seas have experienced mass coral bleaching. He said it’s too early to know how much of Florida’s reefs will recover since coral may die as much as a year or two after the bleaching.

    Manzello said climate models suggest that all of the world’s coral will be suffering severe bleaching every year beginning around 2040.

    “If you have severe bleaching events every year, the prognosis is not good because that basically means the corals aren’t going to have a chance to recover,” he said.

    Sanctuary officials say even in the occasional years when Flower Garden Banks has experienced more serious bleaching than this year, it has bounced back quickly thanks to its overall health and depth, and it’s already recovering this year.

    A report expected in the coming months will look at the sanctuary’s vulnerability to the projected effects of climate change.

    The Flower Garden Banks stands out for its amount of coral cover — an average of over 50 percent across some areas of the sanctuary — compared with around 10 percent cover in the Caribbean and Northwest Atlantic region, Manzello said. Its corals are also about 60 feet (18 meters) below the surface and surrounded by even deeper waters, compared with many reefs where corals are in shallower water just offshore.

    In the early 1900s, fishermen told of peering into the Gulf’s waters and seeing a colorful display that reminded them of a blooming garden, but it was such an unusual spot so far from shore that scientists making the initial dives in the 1960s were surprised to actually find thriving coral reefs.

    The corals in the Flower Garden Banks were able to flourish so far from shore because of mountain-like formations called salt domes, which lifted the corals high enough to catch the light, Johnston said.

    Divers travel from around the world to see the reefs at Flower Garden Banks, where colorful fish, manta rays, sharks and sea turtles waft through and worms that look like Christmas trees pop in and out of corals.

    Andy Lewis, a Houston attorney, said he knew from his first trip to the sanctuary about a decade ago that it was “going to have to be part of my life.” Lewis became a divemaster and is now president of Texas Caribbean Charters, which takes about 1,000 people a year out on diving trips there, with about half making a return trip.

    “It’s just a real adventure,” said Lewis, who also serves on the sanctuary’s advisory board. “I love getting on the boat.”

    That boat leaves from a spot near Galveston, where currents from Mississippi River drop sediment that turns the water near shore a murky brown. By the time the boat motors out to the sanctuary, the water is clear and blue.

    “You drop down and you are on top of live coral as far as you can see,” Lewis said.

    Lauren Tinnes, a nurse from Colorado, described rounding a bluff on her dive this fall and being surrounded by massive reefs as schools of fish darted through. She found the description from so long ago apt: “It’s like a field of flowers,” she said.

    The Flower Garden Banks is one of 15 national marine sanctuaries and two national marine monuments protected by the NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, and the only one in the Gulf of Mexico.

    The sanctuary is made up of 17 separate banks that cover 160 square miles (414 square kilometers). When it was designated in 1992, the sanctuary had two banks. Its largest and most recent expansion of 14 banks came in 2021, a process that included input from the advisory committee, which includes representatives from industries that rely on the Gulf, from oil and gas to recreation to fishing.

    Johnston said that one way to help the reefs stay healthy is to reduce stresses. That includes making sure mooring buoys offer boats a place to tie up so their anchors don’t damage reefs, and removing invasive species that could cause the number of fish to decline.

    Manzello said efforts like those are being done in hopes that greenhouse gas emissions will also be cut globally.

    “We need all of these things happening in concert to really shepherd coral reefs through the next 20, 30, 40 years,” Manzello said.

    Coral reefs support about a fourth of all marine species at some point in their life cycle. They are also economic drivers. By providing a home for fish that keeps them healthy, they support commercial fishing in addition to bringing in tourism revenue.

    “Because coral reefs are declining all over the globe, when we find ones that are healthy, we want to keep them that way,” said Kelly Drinnen, education and outreach specialist for the Flower Garden Banks. “And they kind of serve as the repositories for what could help restore some other reef potentially in the future.”

    In fact, samples of healthy corals from the sanctuary are being banked and studied in a lab at Galveston Island’s Moody Gardens, a tourist destination that includes an aquarium. That includes growing out fragments of coral with hopes of someday replanting them.

    The Flower Garden Banks weren’t damaged by the massive oil spill that followed the deadly 2010 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, but other reefs in the Gulf were. Data gathered from studying the sanctuary’s deeper habitat is being used to help guide restoration of those reefs.

    Researchers are also studying the genetics of the Flower Garden Banks coral, including whether it’s different than species in Florida.

    “The more knowledge we have, the better we are equipped to try to protect that reef,” said Brooke Zurita, a senior biologist at Moody Gardens.

    ___

    Stengle reported from Dallas. LaFleur reported from Galveston.

    ___

    Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Climate change is hurting coral worldwide. But these reefs are thriving

    Climate change is hurting coral worldwide. But these reefs are thriving

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    OFF THE COAST OF GALVESTON, Texas — Divers descending into azure waters far off the Texas coast dip below a horizon dotted with oil and gas platforms into an otherworldly landscape of undersea mountains crusted with yellow, orange and pink coral as far as the eye can see.

    Some of the world’s healthiest coral reefs can be found in the Gulf of Mexico, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) off the Texas coast. Sheltered in a deep, cool habitat far from shore, the reefs in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary boast a stunning amount of coral coverage. But scientists say that like all reefs, they are fragile, and their location will only offer protection for so long in the face of a warming climate.

    “To see that much coral in one place is really magnificent — an experience that most people don’t get on reefs in this day and age,” said Michelle Johnston, the acting superintendent and research coordinator for the federally protected area.

    The sanctuary had some moderate bleaching this year but nothing like the devastation that hit other reefs during the summer’s record-breaking heat. Still, Johnston said that’s among her top concerns for the sanctuary’s future. Waters that get too warm cause corals to expel their colorful algae and turn white. They can survive if temperatures fall but they are left more vulnerable to disease and may eventually die.

    Florida’s coral reef — the world’s third-largest — experienced an unprecedented and potentially deadly level of bleaching over the summer. Derek Manzello, coordinator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Watch, said that so far this year, at least 35 countries and territories across five oceans and seas have experienced mass coral bleaching. He said it’s too early to know how much of Florida’s reefs will recover since coral may die as much as a year or two after the bleaching.

    Manzello said climate models suggest that all of the world’s coral will be suffering severe bleaching every year beginning around 2040.

    “If you have severe bleaching events every year, the prognosis is not good because that basically means the corals aren’t going to have a chance to recover,” he said.

    Sanctuary officials say even in the occasional years when Flower Garden Banks has experienced more serious bleaching than this year, it has bounced back quickly thanks to its overall health and depth, and it’s already recovering this year.

    A report expected in the coming months will look at the sanctuary’s vulnerability to the projected effects of climate change.

    The Flower Garden Banks stands out for its amount of coral cover — an average of over 50 percent across some areas of the sanctuary — compared with around 10 percent cover in the Caribbean and Northwest Atlantic region, Manzello said. Its corals are also about 60 feet (18 meters) below the surface and surrounded by even deeper waters, compared with many reefs where corals are in shallower water just offshore.

    In the early 1900s, fishermen told of peering into the Gulf’s waters and seeing a colorful display that reminded them of a blooming garden, but it was such an unusual spot so far from shore that scientists making the initial dives in the 1960s were surprised to actually find thriving coral reefs.

    The corals in the Flower Garden Banks were able to flourish so far from shore because of mountain-like formations called salt domes, which lifted the corals high enough to catch the light, Johnston said.

    Divers travel from around the world to see the reefs at Flower Garden Banks, where colorful fish, manta rays, sharks and sea turtles waft through and worms that look like Christmas trees pop in and out of corals.

    Andy Lewis, a Houston attorney, said he knew from his first trip to the sanctuary about a decade ago that it was “going to have to be part of my life.” Lewis became a divemaster and is now president of Texas Caribbean Charters, which takes about 1,000 people a year out on diving trips there, with about half making a return trip.

    “It’s just a real adventure,” said Lewis, who also serves on the sanctuary’s advisory board. “I love getting on the boat.”

    That boat leaves from a spot near Galveston, where currents from Mississippi River drop sediment that turns the water near shore a murky brown. By the time the boat motors out to the sanctuary, the water is clear and blue.

    “You drop down and you are on top of live coral as far as you can see,” Lewis said.

    Lauren Tinnes, a nurse from Colorado, described rounding a bluff on her dive this fall and being surrounded by massive reefs as schools of fish darted through. She found the description from so long ago apt: “It’s like a field of flowers,” she said.

    The Flower Garden Banks is one of 15 national marine sanctuaries and two national marine monuments protected by the NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, and the only one in the Gulf of Mexico.

    The sanctuary is made up of 17 separate banks that cover 160 square miles (414 square kilometers). When it was designated in 1992, the sanctuary had two banks. Its largest and most recent expansion of 14 banks came in 2021, a process that included input from the advisory committee, which includes representatives from industries that rely on the Gulf, from oil and gas to recreation to fishing.

    Johnston said that one way to help the reefs stay healthy is to reduce stresses. That includes making sure mooring buoys offer boats a place to tie up so their anchors don’t damage reefs, and removing invasive species that could cause the number of fish to decline.

    Manzello said efforts like those are being done in hopes that greenhouse gas emissions will also be cut globally.

    “We need all of these things happening in concert to really shepherd coral reefs through the next 20, 30, 40 years,” Manzello said.

    Coral reefs support about a fourth of all marine species at some point in their life cycle. They are also economic drivers. By providing a home for fish that keeps them healthy, they support commercial fishing in addition to bringing in tourism revenue.

    “Because coral reefs are declining all over the globe, when we find ones that are healthy, we want to keep them that way,” said Kelly Drinnen, education and outreach specialist for the Flower Garden Banks. “And they kind of serve as the repositories for what could help restore some other reef potentially in the future.”

    In fact, samples of healthy corals from the sanctuary are being banked and studied in a lab at Galveston Island’s Moody Gardens, a tourist destination that includes an aquarium. That includes growing out fragments of coral with hopes of someday replanting them.

    The Flower Garden Banks weren’t damaged by the massive oil spill that followed the deadly 2010 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, but other reefs in the Gulf were. Data gathered from studying the sanctuary’s deeper habitat is being used to help guide restoration of those reefs.

    Researchers are also studying the genetics of the Flower Garden Banks coral, including whether it’s different than species in Florida.

    “The more knowledge we have, the better we are equipped to try to protect that reef,” said Brooke Zurita, a senior biologist at Moody Gardens.

    ___

    Stengle reported from Dallas. LaFleur reported from Galveston.

    ___

    Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Fast-moving Hawaii fires will take a heavy toll on the state’s environment

    Fast-moving Hawaii fires will take a heavy toll on the state’s environment

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    The fast-moving wildfires that raked Maui this week took a heavy toll on humans and property, killing dozens of people and devastating the historic town of Lahaina. But their effects on the landscape and environment in Hawaii are also expected to be significant.

    Experts say the fires are likely to transform the landscape in unwanted ways including hastening erosion, sending sediment into waterways and degrading coral that is critically important to the islands, marine life and the humans who live nearby.

    A look at some of those potential impacts:

    CORAL

    The wildfires struck Hawaii just as Jamison Gove, a Honolulu-based oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, was publishing research in Nature on Hawaii coral reefs’ recovering from a 2015 marine heat wave. That work highlighted the threat to coral from land-based contaminants running off into the ocean.

    Gove said Thursday that burning homes, commercial structures and cars and trucks would make any runoff worse by concentrating synthetic materials in the stream.

    “It’s not a major leap to suggest when all that material is even more heavily concentrated in a small area, that the consequences would undoubtedly be more severe if and when it’s in the ocean,” Gove said. He noted that Lahaina’s coastal location meant “a minimal distance” for the materials to reach the ocean.

    “Coral reefs provide coastal protection, they provide fisheries, they support cultural practices in Hawaii,” Gove said. “And the loss of reefs just has such detrimental consequences to the ecosystem.”

    DRINKING WATER

    One casualty of the fire could be clean drinking water.

    Andrew Whelton, a professor of civil engineering and environmental and ecological engineering at Purdue University, said the wildfires can contaminate private wells and water systems and even municipal water systems.

    The private wells, which can be shallow and sometimes have little more protection than a board or well house, are easily overcome by fire and contaminated, Whelton said.

    Municipal systems also can be affected when fire damages distribution systems. Whelton described a scenario in which pressure drops could lead to contaminated water backing up, sucking in smoke, soot, ash and vapors that penetrate plastics, gaskets and other materials to create a future problem.

    “They leach out slowly into the clean water you’ve just put in, making that clean water unsafe,” Whelton said.

    LANDSCAPE AND SOIL CHANGES

    Elizabeth Pickett, co-executive director of the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, a nonprofit working with communities to prevent and mitigate fires, lamented the changes wrought by fire.

    Invasive and fire-prone grass species have moved in over time and during a fire they can burn into native forests, which means the forests are replaced by more grass, Pickett said. The soil burns and sloughs off, leading to massive post-fire erosion that smothers coral, impacts fisheries and reduces the quality of the ocean water, she said.

    The state is windy and the dust blows for years, harming human health, she added.

    “When you lose your soil, it’s really hard to restore and replant. And then the only thing that can really handle living there in many cases are more of those invasive species,” Pickett said. “It’s systemic. Air, land and water are all impacted.”

    Paul Steblein, the wildland fire science coordinator for the U.S. Geological Survey, said there are a number of fire-adapted invasive species. If that is what grows back following a wildfire, then fires can become more common.

    Those invasive grasses are also growing faster during the periods that are wetter due to climate change and become easy to burn when it dries out, Steblein said.

    ___

    Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Scientists say Florida Keys coral reefs are already bleaching as water temperatures hit record highs

    Scientists say Florida Keys coral reefs are already bleaching as water temperatures hit record highs

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    FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Some Florida Keys coral reefs are losing their color weeks earlier than normal this summer because of record-high water temperatures, meaning they are under stress and their health is potentially endangered, federal scientists said.

    The corals should be vibrant and colorful this time of year, but are swiftly going white, said Katey Lesneski, research and monitoring coordinator for Mission: Iconic Reefs, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched to protect Florida coral reefs.

    “The corals are pale, it looks like the color’s draining out,” said Lesneski, who has spent several days on the reefs over the last two weeks. “And some individuals are stark white. And we still have more to come.”

    Scientists with NOAA this week raised their coral bleaching warning system to Alert Level 2 for the Keys, their highest heat stress level out of five. That level is reached when the average water surface temperature is about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) above the normal maximum for eight straight weeks.

    Surface temperatures around the Keys have been averaging about 91 degrees (33 Celsius), well above the normal mid-July average of 85 degrees (29.5 Celsius), said Jacqueline De La Cour, operations manager for NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch program. Previous Alert Level 2s were reached in August, she said.

    Coral reefs are made up of tiny organisms that link together. The reefs get their color from the algae that live inside them and are the corals’ food. When temperatures get too high, the coral expels the algae, making the reefs appear white or bleached. That doesn’t mean they are dead, but the corals can starve and are more susceptible to disease.

    Andrew Bruckner, research coordinator at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, said some coral reefs began showing the first signs of bleaching two weeks ago. Then in the last few days, some reefs lost all their color. That had never been recorded before Aug. 1. The peak for bleaching typically happens in late August or September.

    “We are at least a month ahead of time, if not two months,” Bruckner said. “We’re not yet at the point where we are seeing any mortality … from bleaching. It is still a minor number that are completely white, certain species, but it is much sooner than we expected.”

    Still, forecasting what will happen the rest of the summer is hard, De La Cour and Bruckner said. While water temperatures could continue to spike — which could be devastating — a tropical storm or hurricane could churn the water and cool it down. Dusty air from the Sahara Desert moving across the Atlantic and settling over Florida could dampen the sun’s rays, lowering temperatures.

    Because of climate change and other factors, the Keys waters have lost 80% to 90% of their coral over the last 50 years, Bruckner said. That affects not only marine life that depends on the reefs for survival, but also people — coral reefs are a natural buffer against storm surge from hurricanes and other storms. There is also an economic impact because tourism from fishing, scuba diving and snorkeling is heavily dependent on coral reefs.

    “People get in the water, let’s fish, let’s dive — that’s why protecting Florida’s coral reef is so critical,” De La Cour said.

    Both scientists said it is not “all doom and gloom.” A 20-year, large-scale effort is underway to rebuild Florida’s coral back to about 90% of where it was 50 years ago. Bruckner said scientists are breeding corals that can better withstand the heat and are using simple things like shade covers and underwater fans to cool the water to help them survive.

    “We are looking for answers and we are trying to do something, rather than just looking away,” Bruckner said.

    Breeding corals can encourage heat resistance in future generations of the animals, said Jason Spadaro, coral reef restoration program manager for Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida. That could be vital to saving them, he said.

    Spadaro and others who have visited the corals said they have noticed the coral bleaching is worse in the lower Keys than in the more northern parts of the area. The Keys have experienced bad bleaching years in the past, but this year it is “really aggressive and it’s really persistent,” he said.

    “It’s going to be a rough year for the reef. It hammers home the need to continue this important work,” he said.

    The early bleaching is happening during a year when water temperatures are spiking earlier than normal, said Ross Cunning, a research biologist at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. The Keys are experiencing water temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), which would normally not occur until August or September, he said.

    The hot water could lead to a “disastrous bleaching event” if it does not wane, Cunning said.

    “We’re seeing temperatures now that are even higher than what we normally see at peak, which is what makes this particularly scary,” Cunning said.

    De La Cour said she has no doubt that the warming waters are caused by human-made global warming and that needs to be fixed for coral to survive.

    “If we do not reduce the greenhouse gas emissions we are emitting and don’t reduce the greenhouse gases that are already in the atmosphere, we are creating a world where coral reefs cannot exist, no matter what we do,” she said.

    ___

    Whittle reported from Portland, Maine.

    ___

    Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Aperture Pet & Life and the Florida Aquarium Partner on Collection of Merchandise to Support Vital Coral Conservation Efforts

    Aperture Pet & Life and the Florida Aquarium Partner on Collection of Merchandise to Support Vital Coral Conservation Efforts

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    GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn., July 14, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Aperture Pet & Life, the integrated company for some of the largest brands in the aquatics industry, including Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine and AquaIllumination, is pleased to announce an expanded partnership with The Florida Aquarium. 

    During the month of July, Aperture brand Bulk Reef Supply (BRS) and The Florida Aquarium have joined forces to offer a collection of co-branded merchandise with 100% of the net proceeds being donated to The Florida Aquarium. These funds will be utilized to support the aquarium’s vital conservation efforts, specifically focused on the protection and conservation of Florida’s critically endangered coral reef. This collection includes plushies and t-shirts featuring Mr. Chili, the BRS mascot who is a coral polyp. 

    This collaboration between Aperture and The Florida Aquarium not only strengthens their long-standing relationship, but it also contributes to a significant cause.

    “We are excited to support the critical coral conservation efforts of The Florida Aquarium. Their work is nothing short of extraordinary, fueled by a team with passion and relentless dedication to addressing the coral crisis,” said Natalie Strahan, Chief Executive Officer for Aperture Pet & Life. “They are making a significant impact for our ocean’s futures and generations to come. Therefore, we are proud to honor The Florida Aquarium researchers, scientists and team members by Mr. Chili becoming Super Chili for the month of July in recognition of their work and as a reflection of them being superheroes in our eyes.”

    Super Chili will also assume the part-time role of a coral conservation mascot for The Florida Aquarium. He will act as a representative for reef education and conservation, particularly focused on educating children. As a coral polyp himself, the hope is he will help inspire the next generation to learn about our coral reefs and the important role they play for our oceans and our planet.

    “The more we understand and have connection to something, the more we care about it. This unique partnership allows us to leverage the benefit of how toys like plushies can evoke imagination and compassion, which can ultimately be a catalyst for developing a sense of environmental responsibility and empathy toward the natural world,” said Roger Germann, president & Chief Executive Officer of The Florida Aquarium. “Super Chili has the strength to save coral reefs, one coral at a time, but when his superpower is fueled by millions of children and adults who care about coral enough to make positive environmental choices – now that’s hero’s work.”

    Corals support 25% of all ocean life, are the ecosystem engineers that build physical homes for animals, protect up to 90% of our coastlines from damage, and provide food and economic benefit to hundreds of millions of people.

    The scientists at The Florida Aquarium have been tirelessly dedicated to addressing the coral crisis. Their focus lies in protecting coral species that are on the brink of extinction in the wild, increasing coral reproduction rates, and advancing overall coral health. Through their relentless efforts, these coral scientists have made coral sexual reproduction history many times with their work, which has been vital to the restoration of the third largest barrier reef in the world, Florida’s Coral Reef. 

    In August 2019, The Florida Aquarium, in partnership with the Horniman Museum and Gardens, became the first to successfully spawn critically endangered pillar coral in a laboratory. In 2023, the first juvenile pillar corals born and raised in aquariums were returned to the ocean for the first time.

    “We could not be prouder or more humbled to partner with the incredible team at The Florida Aquarium on their historic and revolutionary work,” said Strahan. “There has never been a more important time than now to support their research and help children and adults alike become a part of the mission to conserve our coral reefs.”

    By supporting The Florida Aquarium’s conservation work, the collaboration between Aperture brand BRS and the Aquarium aims to make a tangible impact in safeguarding the fragile coral ecosystems. The funds generated from the co-branded merchandise will go directly toward supporting research, restoration projects, and education initiatives focused on coral reef preservation. This partnership not only fosters a deeper understanding of the importance of coral conservation but also provides crucial resources for sustaining these irreplaceable marine habitats for generations to come.

    Aperture brands, including BRS, reach and represent one of the largest home aquarist communities in the world. In a recent survey of BRS customers, 90% indicated that contributing to coral conservation efforts is important to them. This partnership also provides this key community a new opportunity to give back to something they are deeply passionate about.

    “We are grateful for our amazing partners at Aperture Pet & Life and Bulk Reef Supply and bolstered by their commitment to saving coral reefs, supporting our coral conservation efforts through philanthropy and outreach, and of course, sending Super Chili to join us in the global fight,” said Germann.

    For more information and to support The Florida Aquarium coral conservation efforts, please visit flaquarium.org or bulkreefsupply.com/superchili.

    About Aperture

    Aperture is a leading online retailer, manufacturer and distributor of products and solutions in over 50 countries through an integrated platform, which includes the industry’s leading online marketplace for saltwater aquarists, world-class products for the success of saltwater, freshwater and reptile and amphibian ecosystems and habitats, distribution operations, sales professionals and one of the pet industry’s largest YouTube platforms, with over 400,000 subscribers and 110 million views. Through its banner brands Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination, Leap Habitats and others, the company offers its customers the products and resources they need to create thriving ecosystems as well as to continue on the company’s rich history in supporting critical research, conservation and education that supports our world’s barrier reefs and marine life. 

    For more information, visit www.apetlife.com.

    Source: Aperture Pet & Life

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  • Underwater music show in the Florida Keys promotes awareness of coral reef protection

    Underwater music show in the Florida Keys promotes awareness of coral reef protection

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    Hundreds of divers and snorkelers listened to an underwater concert that advocated coral reef protection in the Florida Keys

    In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Kristen Livengood, left, pretends to sing underwater, Saturday, July 8, 2023, at the Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary near Big Pine Key, Fla. Several hundred divers and snorkelers submerged along a portion of the continental United States’ only living coral barrier reef to listen to a local radio station’s four-hour broadcast, piped beneath the sea to promote coral reef preservation. (Frazier Nivens/Florida Keys News Bureau via AP)

    The Associated Press

    BIG PINE KEY, Fla. — Hundreds of divers and snorkelers listened to an underwater concert that advocated coral reef protection Saturday in the Florida Keys.

    The Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival, which also spotlighted eco-conscious diving, took place at Looe Key Reef, an area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary located about 6 miles (10 kilometers) south of Big Pine Key.

    Established in 1990, the sanctuary protects 3,800 square miles (9,800 square kilometers) of waters including the barrier reef that parallels the 125-mile-long (201-kilometer-long) island chain.

    Participants swam among Looe Key’s colorful marine life and coral formations while listening to water-themed music broadcast by a local radio station. The music was piped undersea through waterproof speakers suspended beneath boats above the reef.

    The oceanic playlist included the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine,” Jimmy Buffett’s “Fins” and the theme from “The Little Mermaid.”

    Tunes were interspersed with diver awareness messages about ways to minimize environmental impacts on the world’s coral reefs, whose rich biodiversity has led them to be called the rainforests of the sea.

    While the festival’s primary purpose was to encourage reef preservation, it also afforded a singular underwater experience. “Mermaids” and other costumed characters added unique visual elements to the auditory offering on part of the continental United States’ only living coral barrier reef.

    The four-hour musical event was staged by local radio station 104.1 FM and the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce.

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  • Aperture Pet & Life Releases Revolutionary Technology for Aquarium Products to Work Seamlessly Together

    Aperture Pet & Life Releases Revolutionary Technology for Aquarium Products to Work Seamlessly Together

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    New Module Integrates EcoTech, Neptune and Aquaillumination Products for Aquarists


    GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn., June 14, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Aperture Pet & Life, the integrated company for some of the largest brands in the aquatics industry, including Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine and AquaIllumination, is proud to announce the game-changing MXM Module. This groundbreaking product allows aquarium enthusiasts to seamlessly integrate AquaIllumination (AI), EcoTech Marine and Neptune Systems products, setting a new standard in control and automation.

    Key Features and Benefits of the MXM Module:

    Seamless Integration: The MXM Module effortlessly incorporates AI, EcoTech Marine and Neptune devices into any existing Neptune Apex ecosystem, providing a centralized control hub with single-app control.

    Advanced Automation: Unleash your creativity and optimize aquarium performance with custom schedules, natural lighting simulations, synchronized lighting, water flow patterns and more.

    Real-Time Programming and Control: Stay connected with instant access to control and information about lighting intensity, power consumption, flow rates and other crucial metrics for AI, EcoTech and Neptune products.

    User-Friendly Interface: Control all your connected AI and EcoTech Marine devices with ease through the intuitive Neptune Apex Fusion app. Enjoy remote access via computer, smartphone or tablet for a seamless user experience.

    Natalie Strahan, CEO of Aperture Pet & Life, expressed her excitement about the MXM Module. “The MXM Module represents a significant milestone for our brands and even more importantly, our commitment to providing aquarium enthusiasts with an easier, more powerful and flexible experience. We’re thrilled to offer our community the ability to fully integrate AI, EcoTech and Neptune products into their aquarium.”

    For more information or to purchase MXM worldwide, retailers can reach out to their Aperture sales representative or visit the Aperture wholesale portal. Aquarists can purchase MXM at their favorite local fish store or online retailer.

    About Aperture

    Aperture is a leading online retailer, manufacturer and distributor of products and solutions in over 50 countries through an integrated platform, which includes the industry’s leading online marketplace for saltwater aquarists, world-class products for the success of saltwater, freshwater and reptile and amphibian ecosystems and habitats, distribution operations, sales professionals and one of the pet industry’s largest YouTube platforms, with over 400,000 subscribers and 110 million views. Through its banner brands Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination, Leap Habitats and others, the company offers its customers the products and resources they need to create thriving ecosystems. For more information, visit www.apetlife.com.

    Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination and Leap Habitats are trademarks of Aperture, LLC. ©2023 Aperture, LLC. All rights reserved. 

    Source: Aperture Pet & Life

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  • Aperture’s AquaIllumination Brand Adds Nero 7 to Its Popular Line of Aquarium Pumps

    Aperture’s AquaIllumination Brand Adds Nero 7 to Its Popular Line of Aquarium Pumps

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    GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn., April 18, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Aperture Pet & Life, the integrated company for some of the largest brands in the aquatics industry, including Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine and AquaIllumination, is pleased to announce Nero 7 as the new addition to the Nero lineup of powerhead’s, favorited by customers around the world.  

    Nero 7 is a cutting-edge submersible circulation pump, designed to provide exceptional performance and reliability for medium to large saltwater or freshwater aquariums. Producing up to 4000 gph (15,141 lph) of controllable in-tank flow, Nero 7 is ideal for aquariums 80 to 500+ gallons (302-1892 liters). 

    With its sleek, compact design and powerful motor, Nero 7 ensures efficient water circulation, helping to maintain a healthy aquatic environment for fish and other aquatic animals. The pump is also extremely quiet, making it ideal for use in both residential and commercial settings.

    “We are committed to providing the very best in aquatic technology for aquariums of all sizes,” said Patrick Clasen, President of EcoTech. “When designing Nero 7, we wanted to ensure that medium and large aquariums had a reliable, efficient, and user-friendly solution for a pump.”

    Nero 7’s range of advanced features include:

    • Variable flow control, allowing aquarists to adjust the water flow rate
    • Wave mode, which creates a gentle and natural wave effect in the aquarium
    • Feed mode, which temporarily suspends the flow of water, making it easier to feed fish without disturbing them

    Designed with both form and function in mind, the Nero 7 is constructed using high-quality materials, ensuring durability and longevity. It is also easy to install and maintain, making it a hassle-free addition to your aquarium.

    Nero 7 pumps have on-pump control and full control and programmable scheduling capabilities through the AquaIllumination MyAI or the Mobius app, both available in the Apple App store or from Google Play.

    For more information or to purchase Nero 7, retailers can reach out to their Aperture sales representative or visit the Aperture wholesale portal. Aquarists can purchase Nero 7 at their favorite local fish store or online retailer.

    About Aperture

    Aperture is a leading online retailer, manufacturer and distributor of products and solutions in over 50 countries through an integrated platform, which includes the industry’s leading online marketplace for saltwater aquarists, world-class products for the success of saltwater, freshwater and reptile and amphibian ecosystems and habitats, distribution operations, sales professionals and one of the pet industry’s largest YouTube platforms, with over 400,000 subscribers and 110 million views. Through its banner brands Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination, Leap Habitats and others, the company offers its customers the products and resources they need to create thriving ecosystems. For more information, visit www.apetlife.com.

    Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination and Leap Habitats are trademarks of Aperture, LLC. ©2023 Aperture, LLC. All rights reserved

    Source: Aperture, LLC

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  • Aperture Launches the Most Versatile Aquarium Light in Company’s History

    Aperture Launches the Most Versatile Aquarium Light in Company’s History

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    New Aquaillumination Blade in multiple sizes and mounting options for saltwater and freshwater aquariums

    Press Release
    –

    Jan 4, 2023


    GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn., January 4, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Aperture Pet & Life, the integrated company for some of the largest brands in the aquatics industry, including Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine and AquaIllumination, is pleased to announce the newest light addition to their highly innovative line up of some of the most trusted products by aquarists around the world.

    The new light series, Aquaillumination Blade, is the most versatile light ever launched under the EcoTech house of brands. Designed as a strip light. Blade can be paired with other lights and mounted in infinite configurations to best meet aquariums of all sizes and needs. This allows aquarists to choose the right size and spectrum for their tank by using Blade as a standalone light, through mixing and matching multiple Blades or by pairing with other lights already over their aquarium.

    Blade is available in four different spectrums:

    • Refugium: horticultural-based spectrum designed for growing green plants
    • Grow: marine spectrum mix that is designed around maximizing output in the photosynthetic peaks used by Coral to grow and produce nutrients
    • Glow: marine spectrum mix that is designed to maximize fluorescence in coral
    • Freshwater: spectrum designed to maximize output for freshwater aquariums and/or house plants

    “We couldn’t be more pleased with our new Blade light lineup. We firmly believe that this is by far the most versatile aquarium lighting solution we have ever made, if not the most flexible lighting platform available to hobbyists, period,” said Patrick Clasen, President of EcoTech. “Using Blades alone, in multiples, as a Grow and Glow mix, as a supplement to Hydra or Radion pendant lights or over their freshwater tanks, opens up a world of possibility.”

    Blade lights have on-light control and full control and programmable scheduling capabilities through the AquaIllumination MyAI or the Mobius app, both available in the Apple App store or from Google Play.

    The Blade light is available in 7 sizes for Grow, Glow and Freshwater: 12.1in(30.74cm), 21.1in(53.59cm), 30.1in(76.45cm), 39.1in(99.31cm), 48.1in(122.17cm), 57.1in(145.03cm), 66.1in(167.89cm). The Refugium is available in 12.1in(30.74cm).

    For more information or to purchase Blade, retailers can reach out to their Aperture sales representative or visit the Aperture wholesale portal. Aquarists can purchase Blade at their favorite local fish store or online retailer.

    About Aperture

    Aperture is a leading online retailer, manufacturer and distributor of products and solutions in over 50 countries through an integrated platform, which includes the industry’s leading online marketplace for saltwater aquarists, world-class products for the success of saltwater, freshwater and reptile and amphibian ecosystems and habitats, distribution operations, sales professionals and one of the pet industry’s largest YouTube platforms, with over 400,000 subscribers and 110 million views. Through its banner brands Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination, Leap Habitats and others, the company offers its customers the products and resources they need to create thriving ecosystems. For more information, visit www.apetlife.com

    Source: Aperture, LLC

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  • Dugong, coral, abalone face extinction threat, IUCN says

    Dugong, coral, abalone face extinction threat, IUCN says

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    Populations of a vulnerable species of marine mammal, numerous species of abalone and a type of Caribbean coral are now threatened with extinction, an international conservation organization said Friday.

    The International Union for Conservation of Nature announced the update during the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP15, conference in Montreal. The union’s hundreds of members include government agencies from around the world, and it’s one of the planet’s widest-reaching environmental networks.

    The IUCN uses its Red List of Threatened Species to categorize animals approaching extinction. This year, the union is sounding the alarm about the dugong — a large and docile marine mammal that lives from the eastern coast of Africa to the western Pacific Ocean.

    The dugong is vulnerable throughout its range, and now populations in East Africa have entered the red list as critically endangered, IUCN said in a statement. Populations in New Caledonia have entered the list as endangered, the group said.

    The major threats to the animal are unintentional capture in fishing gear in East Africa and poaching in New Caledonia, IUCN said. It also suffers from boat collisions and loss of the seagrasses it eats, said Evan Trotzuk, who led the East Africa red list assessment.

    “Strengthening community-led fisheries governance and expanding work opportunities beyond fishing are key in East Africa, where marine ecosystems are fundamental to people’s food security and livelihoods,” Trotzuk said.

    The IUCN Red List includes more than 150,000 species. The list sometimes overlaps with the species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, such as in the case of the North Atlantic right whale. More than 42,000 of the species on the red list are threatened with extinction, IUCN says.

    IUCN typically updates the red list two or three times a year. This week’s update includes more than 3,000 additions to the red list.

    IUCN uses several categories to describe an animal’s status, ranging from “least concern” to “critically endangered.” Pillar coral, which is found throughout the Caribbean, was moved from vulnerable to critically endangered in this week’s update.

    The coral is threatened by a tissue loss disease, and its population has shrunk by more than 80% across most of its range since 1990, IUCN said. The IUCN lists more than two dozen corals in the Atlantic Ocean as critically endangered.

    Almost half the corals in the Atlantic are “at elevated risk of extinction due to climate change and other impacts,” Beth Polidoro, an associate professor at Arizona State University and red list coordinator for IUCN.

    Unsustainable harvesting and poaching have emerged as threats to abalone, which are used as seafood, IUCN said. Twenty of the 54 abalone species in the world are threatened with extinction according to the red list’s first global assessment of the species.

    Threats to the abalone are compounded by climate change, diseases and pollution, the organization said.

    “This red list update brings to light new evidence of the multiple interacting threats to declining life in the sea,” said Jon Paul Rodríguez, chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission.

    ———

    Follow Patrick Whittle on Twitter: @pxwhittle

    ———

    Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Aperture Announces Aperture Circle to Support Ecosystem Conservation

    Aperture Announces Aperture Circle to Support Ecosystem Conservation

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    Press Release
    –

    Nov 29, 2022


    GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn., November 29, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Aperture Pet & Life, the integrated company for some of the largest brands in the aquatics industry, including Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, AquaIllumination and Leap Habitats, which creates reptile and amphibian-centric habitats, is pleased to announce Aperture Circle. This initiative is committed to the sustainability and conservation of marine and wildlife ecosystems.

    Aperture Circle will partner with research institutions, foundations, charities, and other organizations that are aligned with Aperture’s mission of “enriching lives through thriving ecosystems.” These include educational groups that help the next generation learn to conserve and love marine life and organizations dedicated to preserving and restoring fragile ecosystems, including barrier reefs, all around the world. 

    “Aperture employees and brands have a long and rich tradition of contributing to research and education, particularly as it relates to coral and reefs, and they continue to show great passion for being a part of the solution,” said Natalie Strahan, CEO of Aperture. “The creation of Aperture Circle allows us to build on that legacy and expand our support more widely through unique programs that invite our customers, partners, and friends to support these great organizations as well. We are proud to have The Florida Aquarium as Aperture Circle’s first partner. Their extraordinary dedication and work to address the coral crisis will have a positive impact on our ocean’s fragile ecosystems for generations to come.” 

    Coral scientists at The Florida Aquarium have worked tirelessly to address the coral crisis by focusing on protecting species that are approaching or are at risk of extinction in the wild, increasing coral reproduction rates, and advancing coral health. They have made coral sexual reproduction history many times with their work which has been vital to the restoration of the 3rd largest barrier reef in the world, the Florida Reef Tract. “EcoTech Marine’s products are an integral part of our aquarium-based coral reproduction work,” said Keri O’Neil, Senior Scientist at The Florida Aquarium. “We are looking forward to working together to advance coral conservation.”

    Starting on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29, and ending on Dec. 31, Aperture will make a dollar-by-dollar match to The Florida Aquarium up to $10,000 for donations made on this special donation website. “We’re proud to be Aperture Circle’s inaugural partner. We have worked with EcoTech Marine, a member of the Aperture family, in the past and we are excited to expand this relationship in a more official capacity,” said Toni Wofford, Senior Director of Philanthropy at The Florida Aquarium. Aperture will share the call to action to support The Florida Aquarium through its direct-to-consumer business, Bulk Reef Supply, and connecting with customers of Neptune Systems, Ecotech Marine, Aquaillumination, and Leap Habitats.

    About Aperture

    Aperture is a leading online retailer, manufacturer, and distributor of products and solutions in over 50 countries through an integrated platform, which includes the industry’s leading online marketplace for saltwater aquarists, world-class products for the success of saltwater, freshwater, and reptile and amphibian ecosystems and habitats, distribution operations, sales professionals and one of the pet industry’s largest YouTube platforms, with over 400,000 subscribers and 110 million views. Through its banner brands Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination, Leap Habitats, and others, the company offers its customers the products and resources they need to create thriving ecosystems. For more information, visit www.apetlife.com.

    About The Florida Aquarium 

    The Florida Aquarium actively participates in and promotes stewardship of the natural environment as part of its mission of conservation. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

    A visit to The Florida Aquarium provides an opportunity to see over 8,000 aquatic and terrestrial animals, explore complex ecosystems, look for wild dolphins in Tampa Bay, play at the Splash Pad, and more.

    The Florida Aquarium is working to protect and restore our blue planet on many conservation fronts, including research and rescue efforts that help restore Florida’s sea turtle and coral populations and to ensure that sharks continue to swim in our seas. In August 2019, The Florida Aquarium, in partnership with Project Coral, became the first to successfully spawn critically endangered pillar coral in a laboratory. To learn more, follow them on social media at @floridaaquarium and visit www.flaquarium.org. 

    Source: Aperture, LLC

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  • Australia argues against ‘endangered’ Barrier Reef status

    Australia argues against ‘endangered’ Barrier Reef status

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    CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s environment minister said Tuesday her government will lobby against UNESCO adding the Great Barrier Reef to a list of endangered World Heritage sites.

    Officials from the U.N. cultural agency and the International Union for Conservation of Nature released a report on Monday warning that without “ambitious, rapid and sustained” climate action, the world’s largest coral reef is in peril.

    The report, which recommended shifting the Great Barrier Reef to endangered status, followed a 10-day mission in March to the famed reef system off Australia’s northeast coast that was added to the World Heritage list in 1981.

    Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the report was a reflection on Australia’s previous conservative government, which was voted out of office in May elections after nine years in power.

    She said the new center-left Labor Party government has already addressed several of the report’s concerns, including action on climate change.

    “We’ll very clearly make the point to UNESCO that there is no need to single the Great Barrier Reef out in this way” with an endangered listing, Plibersek told reporters.

    “The reason that UNESCO in the past has singled out a place as at risk is because they wanted to see greater government investment or greater government action and, since the change of government, both of those things have happened,” she added.

    The new government has legislated to commit Australia to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 43% below the 2005 level by 2030.

    The previous government only committed to a reduction of 26% to 28% by the end of the decade.

    Plibersek said her government has also committed 1.2 billion Australian dollars ($798 million) to caring for the reef and has canceled the previous government’s plans to build two major dams in Queensland state that would have affected the reef’s water quality.

    “If the Great Barrier Reef is in danger, then every coral reef in the world is in danger,” Plibersek said. “If this World Heritage site is in danger, then most World Heritage sites around the world are in danger from climate change.”

    The report said Australia’s federal government and Queensland authorities should adopt more ambitious emission reduction targets in line with international efforts to limit future warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times.

    The minor Greens party, which wants Australia to slash its emissions by 75% by the end of the decade, called for the government to do more to fight climate change in light of the report.

    Jodie Rummer, a marine biologist at James Cook University in Townville who has worked on the reef for more than a decade, supported calls for Australia to aim for a 75% emissions reduction.

    “We are taking action, but that action needs to be much more rapid and much more urgent,” Rummer told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

    “We cannot claim to be doing all we can for the reef at this point. We aren’t. We need to be sending that message to the rest of the world that we are doing everything that we possibly can for the reef and that means we need to take urgent action on emissions immediately,” she added.

    Feedback from Australian officials, both at the federal and state level, will be reviewed before Paris-based UNESCO makes any official proposal to the World Heritage committee.

    In July last year, the previous Australian government garnered enough international support to defer an attempt by UNESCO to downgrade the reef’s status to “in danger” because of damage caused by climate change.

    The Great Barrier Reef accounts for around 10% of the world’s coral reef ecosystems. The network of more than 2,500 reefs covers 348,000 square kilometers (134,000 square miles).

    Australian government scientists reported in May that more than 90% of Great Barrier Reef coral surveyed in the latest year was bleached, in the fourth such mass event in seven years.

    Bleaching is caused by global warming, but this is the reef’s first bleaching event during a La Niña weather pattern, which is associated with cooler Pacific Ocean temperatures, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Authority said in its annual report.

    Bleaching in 2016, 2017 and 2020 damaged two-thirds of the coral.

    Coral bleaches as a response to heat stress and scientists hope most of the coral will recover from the latest event.

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  • Aperture’s Bulk Reef Supply Announces Mr. Chili Kids and the Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for Aquarists

    Aperture’s Bulk Reef Supply Announces Mr. Chili Kids and the Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for Aquarists

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    Great products at great prices for the seasoned aquarist and next generation of aquarists alike

    Press Release
    –

    Nov 8, 2022


    GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn., November 8, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Tis the season of savings and great gifts, and Aperture Pet & Life’s online retailer Bulk Reef Supply is kicking off the holiday season with a holiday gift guide for aquarists of all levels to ensure those giving gifts get just what they want and need for thriving aquariums. This includes the launch of Mr. Chili Kids with marine-focused STEAM products, toys, games and much more that will help inspire the next generation of aquarists to love and conserve marine life.

    The 2022 Holiday gift guide is now live at bulkreefsupply.com/holiday and includes:

    “We really want to help aquarists and those buying them gifts with great products that would be ideal for both beginner and advanced aquarists,” said Melissa Ortiz, Vice President of Merchandising Operations at Aperture, “And with many of our customers wanting to share the joy of this hobby with the kids in their lives, we launched Mr. Chili Kids to help younger people enjoy and learn to appreciate marine life as much as we do.”

    For more information, visit bulkreefsupply.com/holiday, your favorite local fish store or online retailer for many of these great gifts. 

    About Aperture

    Aperture is a leading online retailer, manufacturer and distributor of products and solutions in over 50 countries through an integrated platform, which includes the industry’s leading online marketplace for saltwater aquarists, world-class products for the success of saltwater, freshwater and reptile and amphibian ecosystems and habitats, distribution operations, sales professionals and one of the pet industry’s largest YouTube platforms, with over 400,000 subscribers and 110 million views. Through its banner brands Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination, Leap Habitats and others, the company offers its customers the products and resources they need to create thriving ecosystems. For more information, visit www.apetlife.com.

    Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination and Leap Habitats are trademarks of Aperture, LLC. ©2022 Aperture, LLC. All rights reserved. 

    For Media Inquiries:

    Jay Sperandio

    jay.sperandio@apetlife.com

    Source: Aperture, LLC

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  • Sparkling fish, murky methods: the global aquarium trade

    Sparkling fish, murky methods: the global aquarium trade

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    LES, Indonesia — After diving into the warm sea off the coast of northern Bali, Indonesia, Made Partiana hovers above a bed of coral, holding his breath and scanning for flashes of color and movement. Hours later, exhausted, he returns to a rocky beach, towing plastic bags filled with his darting, exquisite quarry: tropical fish of all shades and shapes.

    Millions of saltwater fish like these are caught in Indonesia and other countries every year to fill ever more elaborate aquariums in living rooms, waiting rooms and restaurants around the world with vivid, otherworldly life.

    “It’s just so much fun to just watch the antics between different varieties of fish,” said Jack Siravo, a Rhode Island fish enthusiast who began building aquariums after an accident paralyzed him and now has four saltwater tanks. He calls the fish “an endless source of fascination.”

    But the long journey from places like Bali to places like Rhode Island is perilous for the fish and for the reefs they come from. Some are captured using squirts of cyanide to stun them. Many die along the way.

    And even when they are captured carefully, by people like Partiana, experts say the global demand for these fish is contributing to the degradation of delicate coral ecosystems, especially in major export countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines.

    There have been efforts to reduce some of the most destructive practices, such as cyanide fishing. But the trade is extraordinarily difficult to regulate and track as it stretches from small-scale fishermen in tropical seaside villages through local middlemen, export warehouses, international trade hubs and finally to pet stores in the U.S., China, Europe and elsewhere.

    “There’s no enforcement, no management, no data collection,” said Gayatri Reksodihardjo-Lilley, founder of LINI, a Bali-based nonprofit for the conservation and management of coastal marine resources.

    That leaves enthusiasts like Siravo in the dark.

    “Consumers often don’t know where their fish are coming from, and they don’t know how they are collected,” said Andrew Rhyne, a marine biology professor at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island.

    STUNNED BY CYANIDE

    Most ornamental saltwater fish species are caught in the wild because breeding them in captivity can be expensive, difficult and often impossible. The conditions they need to reproduce are extremely particular and poorly understood, even by scientists and expert breeders who have been trying for years.

    Small-scale collection and export of saltwater aquarium fish began in Sri Lanka in the 1930s and the trade has grown steadily since. Nearly 3 million homes in the U.S. keep saltwater fish as pets, according to a 2021-2022 American Pet Products Association survey. (Freshwater aquariums are far more common because freshwater fish are generally cheaper and easier to breed and care for.) About 7.6 million saltwater fish are imported into the U.S. every year.

    For decades, a common fishing technique has involved cyanide, with dire consequences for fish and marine ecosystems.

    Fishermen crush the blue or white pellets into a bottle filled with water. The diluted cyanide forms a poisonous mixture fishermen squirt onto coral reefs, where fish usually hide in crevices. The fish become temporarily stunned, allowing fishermen to easily pick or scoop them from the coral.

    Many die in transit, weakened by the cyanide – which means even more fish need to be captured to meet demand. The chemicals damage the living coral and make it more difficult for new coral to grow.

    LAX ENFORCEMENT

    Cyanide fishing has been banned in countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines but enforcement of the law remains difficult, and experts say the practice continues.

    Part of the problem is geography, Reksodihardjo-Lilley explains. In the vast archipelago of Indonesia, there are about 34,000 miles (54,720 kilometers) of coastline across some 17,500 islands. That makes monitoring the first step of the tropical fish supply chain a task so gargantuan it is all but ignored.

    “We have been working at the national level, trying to push national government to give attention to ornamental fish in Indonesia, but it’s fallen on deaf ears,” she said.

    Indonesian officials counter that laws do exist that require exporters to meet quality, sustainability, traceability and animal welfare conditions. “We will arrest anyone who implements destructive fishing. There are punishments for it,” said Machmud, an official at Indonesia’s marine affairs and fisheries ministry, who uses only one name.

    “NO REAL RECORD-KEEPING”

    Another obstacle to monitoring and regulating of the trade is the quick pace that the fish can move from one location to another, making it difficult to trace their origins.

    At a fish export warehouse in Denpasar, thousands of fish a day can be delivered to the big industrial-style facility located off a main road in Bali’s largest city. Trucks and motorbikes arrive with white Styrofoam coolers crammed with plastic bags of fish from around the archipelago. The fish are swiftly unpacked, sorted into tanks or new plastic bags and given fresh sea water. Carcasses of ones that died in transit are tossed into a basket or onto the pavement, then later thrown in the trash.

    Some fish will remain in small rectangular tanks in the warehouse for weeks, while others are shipped out quickly in plastic bags in cardboard boxes, fulfilling orders from the U.S., Europe and elsewhere. According to data provided to The Associated Press by Indonesian government officials, the U.S. was the largest importer of saltwater aquarium fish from the country.

    Once the fish make the plane ride halfway around the world from Indonesia to the U.S., they’re checked by the Fish and Wildlife Service, which cross-references the shipment with customs declaration forms.

    But that’s designed to ensure no protected fish, such as the endangered Banggai Cardinal, are being imported. The process cannot determine if the fish were caught legally.

    A U.S. law known as the Lacey Act bans trafficking in fish, wildlife, or plants that were illegally taken, possessed, transported, or sold – according to the laws in the country of origin or sale. That means that any fish caught using cyanide in a country where it’s prohibited would be illegal to import or sell in the U.S.

    But that helps little when it’s impossible to tell how the fish was caught. For example, no test exists to provide accurate results on whether a fish has been caught with cyanide, said Rhyne, the Roger Williams marine biology expert.

    “The reality is that the Lacey Act isn’t used often because generally there’s no real record-keeping or way to enforce it,” said Rhyne.

    LOCAL RESPONSE

    In the absence of rigorous national enforcement, conservation groups and local fishermen have long been working to reduce cyanide fishing in places like Les, a well-known saltwater aquarium fishing town tucked between the mountains and ocean in northern Bali.

    Partiana started catching fish – using cyanide — shortly after elementary school, when his parents could no longer afford to pay for his education. Every catch would help provide a few dollars of income for his family.

    But over the years Partiana began to notice the reef was changing. “I saw the reef dying, turning black,” he said. “You could see there were less fish.”

    He became part of a group of local fishermen who were taught by a local conservation organization how to use nets, care for the reef and patrol the area to guard against cyanide use. He later became a lead trainer for the organization, and has trained more than 200 fellow aquarium fishermen across Indonesia in use of less harmful techniques.

    Reksodihardjo-Lilley says it this type of local education and training that should be expanded to reduce harmful fishing. “People can see that they’re directly benefitting from the reefs being in good health.”

    For Partiana, now the father of two children, it’s not just for his benefit. “I hope that (healthier) coral reefs will make it possible for the next generation of children and grandchildren under me,” He wants them to be able to “see what coral looks like and that there can be ornamental fish in the sea.”

    A world away in Rhode Island, Siravo, the fish enthusiast, shares Partiana’s hopes for a less distructive saltwater aquarium industry.

    “I don’t want fish that are not collected sustainably,” he says. “Because I won’t be able to get fish tomorrow if I buy (unsustainably caught fish) today.”

    ———

    Associated Press video journalist Kathy Young reported from New York. Marshall Ritzel contributed to this report from Rhode Island. Edna Tarigan contributed from Jakarta.

    ———

    Follow Victoria Milko on Twitter: @thevmilko

    ———

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Aperture Pet & Life Now Exclusive North American Distributor of Maxspect’s Full Line of Products for Aquarists

    Aperture Pet & Life Now Exclusive North American Distributor of Maxspect’s Full Line of Products for Aquarists

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Aug 31, 2022


    GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn., August 31, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Aperture Pet & Life is proud to announce that it will be the exclusive U.S. distribution partner for the complete and expanding line of Maxspect’s well-known and highly respected products and accessories for aquariums.

    For over a decade, Maxspect has created some of the most trusted products for aquarists around the world. As they continue to expand their product portfolio, reaching even more aquarists in North America has become a critical charter. Partnering with Aperture’s Distribution arm allows them to reach an expansive network of local fish stores, partners, aquariums and research institutes.

    “This new, exclusive distribution partnership will provide a higher level of consistency and increase the availability of previously unavailable Maxspect products in North America,”  said Howard Roy, Sales and Marketing Director, Maxspect.

    Based in Hong Kong, Maxspect’s products include their highly regarded LED lighting products, such as the RSX LED systems, and their innovative Gyre circulation pump. Current highlights of the Maxspect portfolio include:

    RSX LED Line. Maxspect designed and manufactures the unique RSX Aquarium LEDs. The RSX features a slim tank-wide form factor with an integrated onboard controller. This allows the user to easily program the photoperiod directly on the fixture. The RSX is currently available in four models, the R5-100, R5-150, R5-200 and R5-300, and all models feature wireless control (via an ICV6 hub sold separately), inter-unit communication and multiple mounting options. 

    Gyre Pumps. Well-known and well-loved amongst marine aquarists, Maxspect challenged the status quo when it released its first Gyre pump. The Gyre is built on an innovative cylindrical propeller design and comes in multiple sizes with differing flow rates, including a commercial version. The Gyre’s unique design excels at mass water movement and can be placed very close to the water surface unlike competing propeller pump designs. Current Gyre pumps feature app control, multi-pump per controller connectivity, and Sine Wave Technology that makes these pumps more efficient and near silent. 

    Aeraqua Duo Skimmer. Another industry first from Maxspect. Aeraqua Duo skimmers incorporate a dual intake and a dual needle-wheel design. Despite a desirably small footprint, the AD600 protein skimmer can handle up to 100 gallons (400L) on a high bioload system and more than four times that on a low bioload system. The Aeraqua also features an easy adjustment system, app control, start delay and utilizes a DC motor.  

    “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share Maxspect’s products with even more aquarists in North America,” said Jeff Martinson, Chief Operating Officer for Aperture. “Our team is passionate about their commitment to making aquarists successful, which strongly aligns with Aperture’s mission to help ecosystems thrive.”

    For more information or to purchase Maxspect products, retailers can reach out to their Aperture sales representative or visit the wholesale portal. Aquarists can purchase Maxspect products at their favorite local fish store or online retailer.

    About Aperture

    Aperture is a leading online retailer, manufacturer and distributor of products and solutions in over 50 countries through an integrated platform, which includes the industry’s leading online marketplace for saltwater aquarists, world-class products for the success of saltwater, freshwater and reptile and amphibian ecosystems and habitats, distribution operations, sales professionals and one of the pet industry’s largest YouTube platforms, with over 400,000 subscribers and 110 million views. Through its banner brands Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination, Leap Habitats and others, the company offers its customers the products and resources they need to create thriving ecosystems. For more information, visit www.apetlife.com.

    About Maxspect

    Maxspect was established in 2009 with the goal of creating aquarium equipment that integrates new technologies to improve aquarium keeping. With more than a decade of development and manufacturing experience, Maxspect is a respected leader in the aquarium hobby and a mainstay in the aquarium industry. Maxspect is currently sold in over 60 countries worldwide. Maxspect’s mission is to create a comprehensive line of aquarium products, ranging from highly technical and innovative lighting, pumps, and filtration to necessary and useful everyday tools and biomedia. 

    Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination and Leap Habitats are trademarks of Aperture, LLC. ©2022 Aperture, LLC. All rights reserved. 

    For Media Inquiries:
    Jay Sperandio
    jay.sperandio@apetlife.com

    Source: Aperture Pet & Life

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  • Aperture Pet & Life Commemorates the 25th Anniversary of Neptune Systems

    Aperture Pet & Life Commemorates the 25th Anniversary of Neptune Systems

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    Releasing the Next Generation of the World’s Most Trusted Controllers for Aquariums: The Apex A3 Family of Products

    Press Release
    –

    Aug 2, 2022


    GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn., August 2, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Aperture Pet & Life is proudly celebrating the 25th anniversary of one of its most well-respected brands: Neptune Systems. In celebration of this milestone and Neptune’s tremendous legacy as the #1 most trusted and used controller in the world, the next generation of Neptune’s signature Apex controllers will be released including the 25th Anniversary Limited Edition Apex Pro and a new entry-level Apex that provides the most critical monitoring features to meet an aquarist’s needs at all levels. 

    In 1996, Neptune’s founder and President Curt Pansegrau decided to create monitoring and automation for his personal aquarium to ensure his corals and fish were best cared for while he was working as a full-time engineer in Silicon Valley’s technology industry. After setting aside space in his garage to create his very first monitoring system, he quickly found that friends and colleagues who were also aquarists had the same need for peace of mind while they were away from their aquariums. This quickly blossomed into the start of Neptune Systems and creating solutions for not only people he knew personally but also for aquarists, aquariums, research labs and businesses around the world. Twenty-five years later, Neptune has helped tens of thousands of aquariums thrive with billions of measurements a year.

    “I could never have imagined the incredible journey I was beginning,” said Curt Pansegrau, founder and President of Neptune Systems. “Fast-forward to the present day, I am humbled and inspired by all the community support and great experiences that have made our best-in-class products what they are today.”

    The newest generation of the Apex system, the A3 Apex Series, includes four new models of controllers: 

    • 25th Anniversary Limited Edition A3 Apex Pro
    • A3 Apex Pro
    • A3 Apex 
    • A3 Apex Junior

    All models feature on-board FMM input ports to directly accommodate digital monitoring devices and provide aquarists with customizable options that range from monitoring only to the most sophisticated combinations of monitoring, control and automation. This includes a new variable liquid-level sensor exclusive to Neptune Systems and a new optical leak detector. 

    The entire A3 Apex series will operate off of the innovative and easy-to-use cloud service Apex Fusion, like all other Neptune Products. 

    The Apex 25th Anniversary Limited Edition is badged with a 25th Anniversary emblem, a hand-signed letter from Neptune founder and President Curt Pansegrau, and an invitation to receive a free 25th Anniversary Neptune hat and T-shirt. 

    The Apex Junior was created to provide the most critical level of monitoring needed for any aquarist at an entry-level price point, bringing peace of mind in aquarium care to even more aquarists around the world. 

    “We are very excited to bring the A3 Apex Series to the community,” said Pansegrau. “The new generation promises to deliver on greatly expanded possibilities for precision monitoring as well as better protection for the aquatic systems we maintain and love.”

    For more information on the new A3 Apex Series, please visit www.neptunesystems.com. These new products will be available for purchase at independent pet and fish stores in more than 50 countries and online specialty retailers. 

    About Aperture

    Aperture is a leading online retailer, manufacturer and distributor of products and solutions in over 50 countries through an integrated platform, which includes the industry’s leading online marketplace for saltwater aquarists, world-class products for the success of saltwater, freshwater and reptile and amphibian ecosystems and habitats, distribution operations, sales professionals and one of the pet industry’s largest YouTube platforms, with over 400,000 subscribers and 110 million views. Through its banner brands Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination, Leap Habitats and others, the company offers its customers the products and resources they need to create thriving ecosystems. For more information, visit www.apetlife.com.

    Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination and Leap Habitats are trademarks of Aperture, LLC. ©2022 Aperture, LLC. All rights reserved. 

    For Media Inquiries:
    Jay Sperandio
    jay.sperandio@apetlife.com

    Source: Aperture, LLC

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  • Aperture Dedicated to Enriching Lives Through Thriving Ecosystems

    Aperture Dedicated to Enriching Lives Through Thriving Ecosystems

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    New company announced to enable the vision of a growing suite of brands committed to improving people’s lives through successful care of ecosystems and pet habitats

    Press Release
    –

    Apr 19, 2022


    GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn., April 19, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Aperture was announced today as the new, integrated company for some of the largest and most reputable brands in the aquatics and, now, herpetology industries, which strive to make creating and maintaining ecosystems easy and successful. Those brands include:

    Bulk Reef Supply: For over 15 years, Bulk Reef Supply has been the industry’s leading online marketplace for saltwater and reefing aquariums with over 3,000 products from 150 partners. Bulk Reef Supply is a premier resource for reefers around the world through one of the largest YouTube presences in the entire pet industry with nearly 400,000 subscribers and 110 million video views.

    Neptune Systems: For over 25 years, Neptune Systems has been at the forefront of creating some of the most trusted technology for controlling and monitoring aquariums. Giving unparalleled visibility, early detection and real-time solutioning, Neptune technology has saved the lives of millions of fish and corals, making it the #1 choice for controlling and monitoring home and office aquariums and some of the most visited public and private aquariums in the world. 

    EcoTech Marine: For nearly 25 years, EcoTech has set the industry standard for high-performance technology that enables saltwater and freshwater aquarists to create healthy ecosystems with its brands EcoTech Marine and AquaIllumination. With more than 200 products and 43 patents, EcoTech products are tested and endorsed by some of the most respected marine biologists in the world. EcoTech is currently beta-launching products to revolutionize reptile and amphibian keeping: Leap Habitats.

    “The founders of these brands started with a common passion for helping people experience the beauty, joy and health benefits of a thriving aquarium,” said Natalie Strahan, Chief Executive Officer of Aperture. “As we expand our vision and offering, this is the right time to create a new company that allows us to further enrich customers’ lives through integrating exceptional technology, products, partnerships and helpful content.” 

    Bringing these brands together allows Aperture to provide customer-centric solutions that cover the entire spectrum of their journey. Aperture’s engineers, content engine and marketplace unlock unique opportunities to bring the benefits of creating and maintaining ecosystems to more homes, offices, classrooms and aquariums around the world. 

    To learn more, visit www.apetlife.com. 

    About Aperture

    Aperture is a leading online retailer, manufacturer and distributor of products and solutions in over 50 countries through an integrated platform, which includes the industry’s leading online marketplace for saltwater aquarists, world-class products for the success of saltwater, freshwater and reptile and amphibian ecosystems and habitats, distribution operations, sales professionals and one of the pet industry’s largest YouTube platforms, with over 400,000 subscribers and 110 million views. Through its banner brands Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination, Leap Habitats and others, the company offers its customers the products and resources they need to create thriving ecosystems. For more information, visit www.apetlife.com.

    Bulk Reef Supply, Neptune Systems, EcoTech Marine, Aquaillumination and Leap Habitats are trademarks of Aperture, LLC. ©2022 Aperture, LLC. All rights reserved. 

    For Media Inquiries:
    Jay Sperandio
    jay.sperandio@apetlife.com

    Source: Aperture, LLC

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