reeffirstaid
Active Member
I got into marine aquariums, transitioning over from freshwater, in 1998, my sophomore year in high school. I got into scuba diving in 2002, my sophomore year in college. At that point my interest in marine ecosystems had peeked, and I could get college credit for taking a PADI scuba diving course. The same year I got certified, I took my first dive trip to the Florida Springs, and later that year became a PADI certified Tech/Cave diver. As soon as I was done with college I headed to West Palm Beach Florida, and trained as a PADI Dive Master and Specialty Instructor. Since then, I've been diving on coral reefs all over the map.
I didn't really understand reef ecology, until I started diving. It finally clicked for me, when I took courses through the Beautiful Oceans Academy in Montreal, becoming certified as a coral reef biology instructor for scuba divers. It has changed my approach to reef keeping, by trying to keep a very diverse, yet tightly balanced aquarium, that mimics what you find in nature. It's also made me aware of disease threats that exist in the aquarium, which are not so common on natural reefs. Seeing damaged reefs firsthand, made me realize the importance of being both a conscientious and responsible aquarist. Anyone who has seen the impact of climate change on a reef ecosystem, knows that these underwater cities are in real trouble.
I didn't really understand reef ecology, until I started diving. It finally clicked for me, when I took courses through the Beautiful Oceans Academy in Montreal, becoming certified as a coral reef biology instructor for scuba divers. It has changed my approach to reef keeping, by trying to keep a very diverse, yet tightly balanced aquarium, that mimics what you find in nature. It's also made me aware of disease threats that exist in the aquarium, which are not so common on natural reefs. Seeing damaged reefs firsthand, made me realize the importance of being both a conscientious and responsible aquarist. Anyone who has seen the impact of climate change on a reef ecosystem, knows that these underwater cities are in real trouble.
