The Reef Tank: conservation blogging for the aquarist

The Reef Tank, a community blog site and information resource for aquarists, was brought to my attention by Ava, the site's moderator. I am always very cautionary about home aquaria: where the flora and fauna are sourced, including seaweeds and exotic fish that could potentially be invasive species if not handled properly; or whether corals are being imported illegally.

But responsible, conservation-minded aquaria can serve an educational purpose and this web site seems to be pointed in the right direction by staying on top of major ocean conservation issues. The site is well-structured with various categories of postings ranging from ocean acidification to marine species to water conservation. A very impressive breadth of topics are covered here.

Even if you are not an aquaria hobbyist, it's definitely worth checking out. It's always interesting to see another group's perspective and what issues catch their attention. Academics, scientists, non-profit staff - each are attracted to different types or levels of information, detail, points of view. It's always good to try to look at the whole picture once in a while, particularly if you are involved in an activity that is trying to reach the widest possible audience.

And isn't that what we're trying to do, if we want to save the planet?

Check out the Reef Tank blog and web site.