Human or anthropogenic threats to coral reefs have been well documented for the past several years. Suddenly, there appears to be a surge in both research and legislative action regarding how human activities affect coral reefs. Here in Maryland, the health of the Chesapeake Bay has been a controversial topic and an issue that many politicians didn’t address in the past. Sensitive bay watersheds have been effected by both urban sprawl and large factory farms, who produce phosphorous rich run-off responsible for creating dead-zones within the once sea life rich bay. In the past four years ample political clout has been thrown into cleaning up the bay, with the formation of a Chesapeake Bay preservation trust, made up of scientists and ecology experts and funded via the tax payer. The results have been promising, as areas of the bay are showing signs of recovery and species that have been avoiding the waterway for years are starting to return. Threats to coral reefs often lie outside the jurisdiction of state or federal agencies, as they exist in remote areas. Agencies are limited to controlling what imports arrive stateside, which have contributed to coral reef degeneration. To make matters worse, the residents of these island nations often have little economic opportunity, relying on their reefs as a source of income generation. Corporations from around the world have abused this reality, paying islanders insignificant wages to harvest animals for both the aquarium trade and the seafood industry. Even worse, corporations have harvested building materials from the reef, which often pushes acre upon acre of coral reef to complete devastation. 
As sustainability progresses dialogue among advanced marine aquarists, it’s important for hobbyists to know where the reef aquarium trade (and eventually hobby) ranks among the myriad of anthropogenic stressors to coral reef health. The marine livestock industry often reminds hobbyists that the pressure they place on coral reefs is meniscal when compared to other industries. I think many marine aquarists would be surprised to learn that the collection of marine livestock ranks as one of the top human caused stressors to coral reef ecosystems. Both regulatory agencies and conservation outlets have been monitoring the collection of marine livestock for some time and report a series of abuses from various links in the supply chain. To help aquarists become aware of what anthropogenic activities are threatening coral reefs, I’ve compiled a list starting with the most severe on down, placing the collection of livestock on the list, in the area where most agencies believe it belongs.… More:
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The Shedd Aquarium said goodbye to it’s oldest, white sided dolphin on Friday Tique, who was 30 years old, had been with the aquarium since 1991. Tique was suffering from kidney disease and was euthanized by the aquarium after many years of unsuccessful treatment . White sided dolphins normally live between 20 to 40 years of age and are found in the North Pacific. Working at public aquariums for much of my career, the decision to euthanize animals has always been a difficult one. At what point do you decide whether an animal is better off being kept alive in a less than humane way and how do you decide whether euthanasia is appropriate? 
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The Mystic Aquarium has partnered with 
What’s truly mesmerizing about these images is the “over/under” composition – their float gleaming above the surface against the landscape and clouds, while the electric blue tentacles drape across the deep – a marrying of both worlds that makes for something really uniquely incredible in terms of perspective.
