First off sorry for the lack of content in recent weeks. I’ve gotten some emails from reefers asking if I was alright. I’m fine; my second book is nearing release so I’ve been busy getting things in order with that. Without further ado: 
Like many reef aquarists I wasn’t always concerned with the ethical, moral and perhaps legal debate surrounding marine aquariums. I was young when I started my first marine tank and had spent my childhood and adolescent years keeping freshwater aquariums, where nearly every species of fish is bred in captivity. In all reality, when I first started purchasing marine fish, I had no idea that the bulk of them came from the wild. I certainly wasn’t ocean literate, as this was long before my days as a scuba diver and well before my education in coral reef biology. Once I was older and better educated, my quills came out regarding the effect marine aquariums may be having on Mother Nature. It was when I first learned to dive and eventually visited a coral reef (off the coast of West Palm Beach, FL) that I became concerned. It was then I realized that no matter how hard we try the environments we create in captivity pale in comparison to what these animals experience in the wild. Since then the arguments behind ethics, morality and regulation of the marine aquarium hobby have interested me. In fact, I personally believe they are some of the most important conversations aquarists can have. No matter what hobby, industry or field you look at; there is always room for improvement. We all see the marine aquarium hobby differently. Some see it as a simple hobby, comparing it to modeling or collecting. Others see it as an effort to learn more about natural ecosystems and even equate it in the mold of conservation. Those of us who are advanced, hardcore aquarists enjoy nearly every aspect of marine aquariums; from chemistry on up to technology. Trying to look at the topic objectively is impossible if you’re an aquarist. I understand that every hobby, industry, etc. has negative contributions, but for the sake of the ethical, moral, regulation discussion surrounding marine aquariums, it’s valuable to key into factors that are relevant. Aquariums of the rich and famous:
It wasn’t that long ago when the story broke about a wealthy person whom had a vacation house in Hawaii, complete with an aquarium holding several thousand gallons of water.… More:
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