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HEREWITH, a sampling of articles and opening pages for readers curious about what the issue brings.
Table of Contents for the July/August 2021 issue of CORAL Magazine. You can view this TOC online.“Light is being shed on the black hole of microbial ecology in closed aquatic systems, and the final chapter has yet to be written.” – Dr. Tim HovanecREEF NEWS presents findings and happenings of note in the marine world. In this issue: The secret life of corallivores and their zooxanthellae-packed feces; “Double Whammy” brewing for stony corals in wild; RIP Premnas: 1816–2021.REEF VISIONS: A portfolio of extraordinary reef life spotted in the current aquarium trade. In this issue, photographer May Fox captures the Jason Fox Groovy Goniastrea for the opening spread. Author Kenneth Wingerter explains the role of diazotrophs (nitrogen-fixing bacteria) play in the secret life of corals, and how these revelations may force us to rethink the microbiome of our reef aquariums.Will microbiome testing further the science of reef aquarium and coral husbandry? Through environmental DNA sequencing, Dr. Eli Meyer reveals the hidden biodiversity of the microbiome in reef aquariums with some surprising results! Corals are part animal, part plant, part rock … and now part bacteria? Dr. Justin Maire explains the growing understanding of the role that bacteria play in the coral holobiont, which could lead to practical applications of probiotics on the reef, and in our aquariums.Come “Eye-to-Eye with Cute” as Ned & Anna DeLoach explore a photographic obsession with the coral gobies.“‘Find your joy in the journey,’ as the saying goes, ‘not in reaching a goal.’ As a marine aquarist for half of my life, I have come to believe the truth in this, but I also know that the path taken on a years-long journey can sometimes be rocky and arduous.” – Georg Schneider, introducing his Aquarium Portrait.A living conundrum, this is an iconic fish of Indo-Pacific coral reefs. Bright-eyed, intelligent, active, and alert, the Copperband Butterflyfish is a beguiling favorite among reef aquarists. It is also a species with a mixed or even dismal record of survival in the aquarium. We put Chelmon rostratus in this issue’s Species Spotlight.Dr. Dieter Brockmann lays the foundation for smart fish-purchasing decisions in Reefkeeping 101: Good Fish, Bad Fish.Unpredictable and alluring, CORAL readers shared their collective wisdom keeping the often challenging Copperband Butterflyfish, Chelmon rostratus. Matt Pedersen tallies the results in this issue’s Advanced Aquatics.Looking for CORAL? Find current and hard-to-find back issues from these destination independent aquarium retailers! You can find our current sources in each issue, as well as online!Daniel Knop reflects on the Bongo Tiger Shrimp, Phyllognathia ceratophthalma, a tiny beauty related to Harlequin Shrimp. It is a pricey rarity in the trade but a potential candidate for the determined aquaculturist.
Matt Pedersen is a Sr. Editor and Associate Publisher with Reef To Rainforest Media, LLC & CORAL Magazines, and is a Sr. Editor and Publishing Partner with Aquatic Media Press, LLC & AMAZONAS Magazine. Matt has kept aquariums for 38 years, has worked in most facets of the aquarium trade, is an active aquarist and fish breeder (both marine and freshwater), and was recognized with the 2009 MASNA Award as the MASNA Aquarist of the Year.