IntoTheMystic

Although I cannot attend nearly as many meetings as I'd like, I really appreciate the time that Robert puts into documenting these events (the play-by-play commentary is often hilarious) and the time and energy that the leaders in this organization put into making these monthly meetings happen. Much respect and appreciation to all! Very well done.

In time, access to recorded workshops could be part of the program but the focus would be getting interested people together with professional aquarists for lectures and hands-on labs. And, of course, a beverage or two and perhaps a bite later at the Rogue for thirsty, hardworking students and instructors. I could see that kind of after-workshop event happening fairly often, as this fish and coral stuff is thirsty work!

Thus far, I'm getting some really good ideas that have sparked other ideas to involve other aspects of the industry, including manufacturers, researchers and professionals from public aquaria across the country. Thanks for the input and keep the ideas coming!

It's also possible this this could be a really cool development. These critters can produce asexually via binary fission. I used to have one in my reef exhibit. The other morning before the lights came on, I saw four. They clone themselves and work the night shift. Pretty sure this is going to have a happy ending. The posture of the feeding tentacles as the animal pulls itself apart is a good sign.

Hey folks, I've been chewing on an idea for a while and am interested in your thoughts. I"m considering starting a series of workshops here on the coast to benefit a wide range of people from beginners to advanced hobbyists to professionals and all stages in-between. These would be one-day workshops conducted by professionals with a mixture of lectures and hands-on labs but may also include two-day workshops and guest speakers. Examples of these workshops might include: Fundamentals of Fish Health Basic Principles of Life Support Design Aquascaping to Create Stunning Displays Common Fish Diseases and Parasites Proactive Life Support Maintenance to Prevent Failures These might not be the snappiest titles but you get the idea. My questions for you guys are: What workshops would you like to see on this list? What workshops would help you be better hobbyists with healthier systems and animals? If you're a fish and coral retailer, what workshops would benefit your employees and your operation? If you're a professional aquarium maintenance technician, would you be interested in a professional certification program? You input is welcome and encouraged, as experienced, informed and engaged hobbyists would def be one of the target audiences for these workshops. There would be a charge for each workshop to cover costs and benefit our programs but I would make sure the perceived value was very satisfactory every time. Thanks for your ideas and opinions!

Great thread. You guys have covered most of what I would add to this discussion but having run my own business for five years (in another industry,) I would like to add to and reiterate what some of the others have said. 1. It's not enough to be a knowledgeable fish and invert person, you also have to have the discipline and business acumen to get the business built and open, resist the urge to keep flaky hours when you feel like taking a day off or sleeping in, plan a budget and stick with it, hire and manage knowledgeable employees who are also disciplined and honest, promote and advertise (although with social media this is much easier and less costly than it used to be,) and find reputable vendors who send you livestock that is healthy, well-cared-for and helps protect your bottom line. Running a business is not for the faint of heart but you sure do find out a lot about yourself in the process. 2. Deep enough pockets to open the store and keep the doors open. In addition to the significant expenses of finding a site, painting and building infrastructure, paying first and last (at least,) buying merch, livestock, tanks, pumps, lights etc., you also have many other expenses, such as an accountant, an attorney (at least in the beginning,) monthly and quarterly taxes (the quarterly payroll taxes are murder,) licensing, state permits, etc. You also need to have enough working capital to keep the joint open while you're building your business. Also, if you're not there, you have to pay someone to be there for you ,when you're open. 3.) No matter how well you run your business and how lucky you get with good staff to help you run it, you're never really off the clock. You're always thinking about how to build and promote your shop, sweating having enough cash to cover expenses and make loan payments, wondering why sales were down 18% last quarter and so on. All that said, you also have to have time away from the operation occasionally to maintain perspective and quality of life. The worst part of being burned out is everyone around you knows it long before you do. 4. You're the last one who gets paid. Everyone else has to get paid before you do. You can get by working seven days and making little or nothing for a while but you have to make enough to live eventually. 5. You must be lucky enough to have an engaged local community of hobbyists who like and believe in your business and will go a bit (or a lot) out of their way to buy locally and spent a bit more to make sure their local resources are there for them when they need it. PetCo, PetSmart, and others don't give a [language filter] about their regulars but I promise you that the vast majority of LFS owners do. The good ones have a vested interest in making sure that you're successful and make client education part of their business plan. So many factors come into play. You have to be very good and more than a little lucky to make it and it's a tricky confluence of factors to manage even if you are good and lucky. 'Nuff said.

Hey folks! Last time I hosted a meeting and gave a back-of-the-house tour at Hatfield Marine Science Center, I remember a few of you expressing disappointment that most of the labs were off limits. Can't say I blame you, as there is undoubtedly plenty of interesting stuff going on but most of those labs are off limits all the time, except for one day a year. That day is coming up pretty soon and if you're ready to take a breather to the coast, consider heading out on Saturday, April 8. That's Marine Science Day at Hatfield and it's a good time, as well as the one day that you can wander around nearly all of the facility. Most scientists will be hanging around talking about their research, there are lots of activities for kids to enjoy and learn from, you can check out the different state and federal agencies on campus and learn how they collaborate on projects and there is fresh Rogue beer on draft less than a half-mile away. The husbandry team, including Dr. Tim, will be hanging out talking to folks in the West Wing all day, along with at least one AQS instructor and several current students. Please swing by if you end up heading out to the coast that weekend. Just follow the hermit crab conga line. We look forward to seeing you!

Great link with great links! Thanks, John.

If that is a byssus, and I'm pretty sure it is, the animal that released it will appear to be unaffected for a few days, maybe a couple weeks but each side of the shell will probably move further and further apart while the tissue inside the animal decomposes. I sincerely hope I'm wrong about this, Z. Was anything harassing one or both of the clams?

That looks very much like the byssus, or anchor, of a clam. If there is a clam in that tank, it's in heaps of trouble, sorry to say.

This is the best designed DIY fish trap that I've seen yet. The feeding tube is an inspired feature to add stability to the system and entice the quarry. I'll be making one of these in the near future. Looks like you cleaned up all the plastic burrs on the inside as well. Nice touch and great post!

I can't really tell what's going on there from the images. I can discern what looks like might be a mild abrasion but if it is, it looks pretty shallow. Don't see any inflammation as yet either. Monitor it for any sign of swelling or infection. Try to view that site from above to gauge changes (or lack thereof, cheers!) What is the size of the animal for scale?

The inevitable NH3 spike could and prob will nuke your biofilter but I'll bet cash money you already know that. Is there a mechanical sock in the sump? I'd change that 2x daily. Proactively manage the WQ with aggressive water changes 50%+ daily, adjust the skimmer to run wet for a while, increase or add additional aeration, grab a net and net out as many 'nem frags as you can. Hold off on feeds for a while. May the Force be with you on this one. Good luck!

Link to freshly opened healthy urchin anatomy: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gonadi_Paracentrotus_lividus_riccio_di_mare_adventurediving.it.jpg Sushi lovers likely already know that the lush, orange tissue are the gonads. Enjoy!

The medicated cream is silver sulfadiazine. They use it on burn patients, as it's a moisturizing cream but also has bacteriostatic sulfa. The problem is, it's quite hydrophobic, so you have to get creative to get the stuff to stick on the animal once it goes back in the water. I applied the SSD to the lesion and put a small piece of saran wrap over it to form a kind of seal over it. The cream stayed in place for days instead of hours (at best), it retarded the infection and also created a seal to help the critter osmoregulate without having to burn extra energy.

Over the last few months, there has been a small surge in the number of sea urchins brought back to my Hospital with suspected Bald Urchin Disease. I saw my first case a year ago last summer. This disease usually begins with some type of insult that penetrates the skin and exposes the test. Opportunistic bacteria, (appears to be mostly Vibrio spp. so far) set up shop and create a lesion that slowly grows in size and also penetrates the test of the animal, adding osmoregulatory stress to the mix and further taxing its immune system. When I first worked this animal up, I found tons of different bacteria and ciliates swarming at the site, Working with Dr. Tim, I implemented a series of 10 medicated baths over that many days to nuke the ciliates and the bacteria and give the critter's immunocompetence a chance to turn the corner on the infection but it still wouldn't eat and the lesion did not respond well. Note the size of the original infection in the middle of the side in this shot: I then began treating it with a topical antiseptic and a medicated cream that I have used successfully in combination for years (the whitish looking stuff is the remnants of the cream.) Please bear in mind that invertebrate medicine is still very experimental in a lot of ways and sometimes you get unexpected results. The antiseptic, which was diluted by 50%, caused a reaction on the skin on the animal, causing a type of burn that exposed a lot more of the test. This was most unexpected and appalled me and the vet student I was working with that day. Dorsal view. Note the anus, or vent, in the middle. Ventral view. Note the animal's Aristotle's lantern, or mouth, in the center there. Everywhere the antiseptic went, there was near-complete loss of epithelial tissue, spines, tube feet and pedicellariae. I worked on this animal for weeks, trying to get some healing at the margins and reduce the osmoregulatory distress but to no avail. It reacted to food and stimuli but would not eat and eventually I determined that euthanasia was the right thing to do. Because this is such an interesting case, I conducted a necropsy after the animal expired and prepared it for submission to an aquatic animal pathology lab here in the NW. I thought you guys might find the post-mortem images interesting. You can see the initial infection site on the left there. You can also see that the infection totally penetrated through the test, making it very thin and brittle. Note the shrunken appearance of the organs. The infection and the additional loss of epithelial tissue made it impossible for this animal to osmoregulate, causing these tissues to lose water and basically preventing them from functioning. No wonder the animal did not want to eat. Check out the internal structure of the Aristotle's lantern. Notice the delicate musculature. Looks like the muscles are constantly pulling against each other as they control the 5 plates that rasp algae and other food off rocks. The esophagus and stomach are at the 10 o'clock position. Ordinarily, they would point straight up to the vent. This case was difficult, as we are accustomed to routine success with med cases, even when the treatment is experimental. However, this story does have a bit of an upside: I am caring for four more urchins that have/had these lesions. With the lessons learned on this case, I have changed my approach and the lesions on all but one have closed completely. The other, a large Red Urchin, is healing well, with the lesion growing smaller by the day. The treatment was experimental on these animals also and three of them will be ready to go back on exhibit soon.

Pretty good article about domoic acid, shellfish and global warming. Original article found here: http://www.newslincolncounty.com/archives/173900 Algae invasion due to warming southerly ocean flow. NOAA graphic Researchers today reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences a strong correlation between toxic levels of domoic acid in shellfish and the warm-water ocean conditions orchestrated by two powerful forces – El Niño events and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.Using a combination of time-series data spanning two decades, the scientists not only showed a clear link between domoic acid and these larger climatic phenomena, but also developed a new model to predict with some accuracy the timing of domoic acid risks in the Pacific Northwest. The model is based on interpreting the status of the “Oceanic Niño Index” and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation – both of which are measures of climate, ocean water movement, currents and temperature. It’s designed to help coastal resource managers more effectively monitor this issue and protect public health. The findings were made by researchers from Oregon State University, the University of Oregon, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The work was primarily supported by NOAA. Researchers also pointed out that the findings are particularly timely, given the potential for greater domoic acid outbreak occurrences as oceans continue to warm due to climate change. Domoic acid, a potent neurotoxin produced by specific types of phytoplankton and ingested by shellfish, can cause serious health effects in humans and some other animals. In recent years, dangerous levels of these toxins have led to the repeated closure of crab and shellfish harvesting in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere. The problem threatens public health, marine wildlife and can cost millions for coastal economies. Until now, its connection to larger climatic forces has been suspected, but not confirmed. Click Ad for Details “In the natural world there are always variations, and it’s been difficult to connect a specific event to larger forces that operate over periods of years and decades,” said Angelicque White, an associate professor and research team leader in the OSU College of Earth, Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences. “To do so, long observational time-series are crucial. With NOAA’s commitment to sponsored coastal ocean research and monitoring, along with state support for monitoring shellfish toxins, we’ve finally been able to tease out short term variability from natural climate forcing.” Beyond problems with domoic acid levels, White said, this correlation also appears to mirror problems with green crabs, an invasive species of significant concern in the Pacific Northwest. These same warm climate phases lead to increased numbers of green crabs in Oregon waters, where they compete with native Dungeness crabs. The conditions also deliver communities of lipid-poor “copepods” – types of small crustaceans that float with currents – from the south, that are associated with reduced salmon runs. The new study shows that oscillations to positive, or warm-favorable conditions in natural climate cycles can reduce the strength of the south-flowing California Current. This allows more movement northwards of both warmer waters and higher levels of toxic plankton, and also brings that toxic mix closer to shore where it can infiltrate shellfish. “Part of the concern is that a large influx of the plankton that produce domoic acid can have long-term impacts,” said Morgaine McKibben, an OSU doctoral student and lead author on the study. “For example, razor clams are filter-feeders that bioaccumulate this toxin in their muscles, so they take much longer to flush it out than other shellfish. The higher the toxin levels, the longer it takes for razor clams to be safe to eat again, perhaps up to a year after warm ocean conditions have subsided.” Domoic acid is produced by the diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia, and enters the marine food web when toxic blooms of these micro-algae are ingested by animals such as anchovies and shellfish. Referred to as “amnesic shellfish poisoning,” human symptoms can range from gastrointestinal disturbance to seizures, memory loss or, rarely, death. It was only first identified as a public health threat in 1987, and has been monitored on the U.S. West Coast since 1991. Domoic acid events have been linked to mass deaths of marine mammals, like sea lions, sea otters, dolphins and whales. And closures of Pacific Northwest beaches to shellfish harvests, such as those that occurred in 2003, 2015 and 2016, can result in large economic impacts to coastal towns and tourism. In 2015, domoic-acid related closures led to a decline in value of nearly $100 million for the West Coast Dungeness crab fishery, according to the Fisheries of the U.S. Report 2015. “Advance warning of when domoic acid levels are likely to exceed our public health thresholds in shellfish is extremely helpful,” said Matt Hunter, co-author of the study with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Agencies like mine can use this model to anticipate domoic acid risks and prepare for periods of more intensive monitoring and testing, helping to better inform our decisions and ensure the safety of harvested crab and shellfish.”

I'm referring specifically to biosecurity between each system, i.e. dedicated tools for each, sanitizing them between uses, making sure that she doesn't reach into and work on the Aiptasia system and then puts her hands into other systems without washing/sanitizing, proper quarantine, etc. I preach this stuff chapter and verse to OSU vet students and AQS students who work with me. These habits and this kind of awareness are critically important in professional facilities but also apply to our systems at home as well. An ounce of prevention is worth weeks and months of profound lower back pain every time!

As for Aiptasia-rearing tips, if I lost my mind, had the time, and had to do it all over again, I would set up a 55 with some live rock festooned with these 'nems, feed them lavishly a few times a day with Artemia naups, cyclops, Daphnia, etc., make sure they have lighting and flow they like, and take a toothbrush lightly to some of the largest sequoias so they multiply by pedal laceration. I would also provoke other large broodstock with needles, so they release most of their larval planulae in a panic release. One of these buggers with an oral disc the size of a nickel can crank out 25-50 or more planulae every day under optimal conditions. When deliberately provoked, they can probably increase production, though I'm not sure about this. I'd also add lots of small- and medium-sized live rock that can be easily removed and added to the Berghia culture(s) and cycled back and forth for feeding. If she really wants to pursue this, I'd also make [language filter] sure she understands biosecurity and has dedicated tools and other gear for this system. Otherwise, well, I shudder to think! Hope this is helpful.

You're absolutely right. My reply pretty much demanded images, so I slew my Inner CurmudgeonTMand created a Photobucket acct. So, here is my sophisticated Aiptasia-nuking tool (if I can follow the upload protocol properly, that is): And now, the obligatory turkey syringe porno shot: There ya go! I should have broken down and done this this morning but the Curmudgeon is strong in this one. Enjoy!

Raised Berghia with very modest success a couple years ago but ran into the same problem. I quickly ran out of all but the largest Aiptasia. When a baby began munching on the pedal base, these sequoias would sometimes simply bend over and sting them into the void. Worked on raising Berghia for about 5 months and was able to share some with colleagues but concluded that you have to work harder on raising the 'nems than you do for the nudis. I have to admit that it really was fun watching these guys destroy Aiptasia, though. Since then, I have had really good results using Aiptasia-X. I have easier access to syringes and needles than most folks but I use a 10ml syringe w/ an 18g needle for the ones I can reach. When I need a longer reach, I use a really sophisticated tool I made out of a turkey basting syringe, an 18g needle, a 4" piece of rigid airline, about 24" of flexible airline hose and a 30" piece of plastic rod. The turkey syringe comes with a large-gauge needle that one end of the flexible line goes onto, the rigid airline piece goes into the other end, the needle onto the rigid airline, and the long plastic rod gets Gorilla Taped to the exposed piece of rigid airline for fine control at depth. I think I paid $5.99 for the syringe at Fred Meyer. Except for the needle, the rest is stuff that most of us have on hand. I still have to nuke them in my exhibits every once in a while but this approach has been pretty effective for me.

Freezing would sort out most of the parasites but I would be most concerned about domoic acid bioaccumulating in tissue of the fishies. It's usually more of a concern with mammals (I think) but given the shellfish closures from this toxin in the last couple of years especially and currently with Dungeness crabs and razor clams along most or all of the coast, I'd be leery of adding that to my system. ODFW LInk WDFW link Lots of of good, site-specific and seasonal info for acid levels and harvesting in both links. I've considered feeding fresh frozen razors to some of my animals but I always get back to the "ounce of prevention" part on this. If they were harvested outside the PNW, however, it could be an option, depending on where they were harvested and what that state's DFW data says. My 0.02.

This reminds me of something the old man used to say back when I was a new driver: "Those are just two more tires to get stuck if you don't know what you're doing." Pretty smart feller, he was.

Not for sure but I'd say it's likely that it's required. There's a large sign as folks walk into the VC that talks about the research in English, French, Spanish and Russian. There may be a few others scattered about In many cases, the mics and cameras are pretty unobtrusive and easily overlooked.

Those of you who have wandered around the Visitor's Center (VC) at HMSC over the last few years may have noticed an inordinate amount of cameras and microphones strategically located here and there. Although it may seem very BigBrotherish, these mics and cameras are part of an ongoing research project at HMSC and a few other facilities around the country. The project is called Free Choice Learning (FCL) and is essentially a way for researchers to learn how people learn in non-traditional settings, such as public aquaria, museums, science centers and others. A few years ago, an education researcher at HMSC named Dr. Shawn Rowe, PhD, wrote and submitted a grant proposal so that he, his staff and grad students working in this emerging field could learn how people learn while exploring the VC. He and other researchers gather data from the 35 cameras in the VC, such as: Whether guests engage with an interactive exhibit or not How long they interact and investigate (if they do) Whether or not and how long they take to read the signage that accompanies an exhibit How and if they interact with one of the volunteers, what they talk about, whether or not parents or guardians turn these encounters into teachable moments, etc. How family members talk to each other in front of different exhibits Other data that help inform exhibit choices, design, interactivity, sign copy, and other aspects of non-traditional learning experiments While my colleagues and I are scrubbing algae, feeding our animals, and performing routine maintenance in the morning before the VC opens, FCL staff are often cruising around, tweaking exhibits and exhibit copy, discussing upcoming plans and talking about their research with other researchers, who are visiting to start or enhance the FCL initiatives at their home facilities. Occasionally, these researchers talk to the other aquarists and I to get our perspective on this or that, as we often become interpreters and educators when we're cleaning, feeding and otherwise wandering around when the VC is open. Most of the time, I keep a low profile when I'm doing PM feeds or working on something while the VC is open. However, if someone asks me a question, I'm happy to answer it and actually look forward to these interactions. Usually, it begins with, "What are you feeding them?" Or, "How often do you feed them?" From there, I let the guest(s) direct where the conversation goes and how long it lasts. The ones that ask intuitive follow-up questions are the ones I enjoy speaking with the most, as those conversations end up lasting longer and are more interesting and rewarding for both parties. And you never know who is going to initiate one of these conversations. In the last month, I have spoken with people from Australia, England, and Brazil, along with folks from all over the country. In an age when electronic eavesdropping of all kinds has infiltrated our lives, all these cameras and mics can (and should, IMHO) be regarded with suspicion but the data they collect is anonymous by design and necessity. If a little data gathering helps us become more interesting, more relevant, more interactive, more entertaining and more effective at teaching marine science and other scientific disciplines, that's the kind of surveillance that I am happy to participate in and support. For more information about Free Choice Learning at HMSC, please visit http://www.freechoicelearninglab.com/.