The coral reefs of the Indian waters are known for its rich diversity of soft corals. The soft corals are a rich source of biologically active compounds as most of them are found to possess anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and cytotoxic properties.
The dynamic appearance and colouration have also made them important additions in the marine aquarium, particularly in the reef tanks which is gaining lot of popularity the world over. However, most of the soft corals used in the marine aquarium trade are collected from the wild, which in the long run will not be sustainable. The propagation and culture of soft corals in captivity is the only solutionto meet the demand of the hobbyists. The propagation in captive conditions also helps in restoration of degraded reefs.
Despite how promising propagation may seem for sustainable practice, its cost implications and other underlying factors must be considered. Our aquariums are located two kilometers away from the the Indian ocean this is influenced by the robust tourism activities taking place at the coastal beaches of Kenya. In order to maintain almost the exact conditions as required by the species and to obtain the expected results, intensive and integrated techniques have to be implemented.
Currently we are culturing a lot of soft coral species and with the eminent improvement we might increase the size of our aquariums soon. Dermands are high for the soft corals and we are still dedicated to meet them.
Cleaner shrimps exhibit a cleaning symbiosis with the fish in the aquarium where the shrimp clean parasites from the fish. The fish benefit by having parasites removed from them, and the shrimp gain the nutritional value of the parasites. The shrimp also eat the mucus and parasites around the wounds of injured fish, which reduces infections and helps healing. The action of cleansing further aids the health of client fish by reducing their stress levels. In many coral reef, cleaner shrimp congregate at cleaning stations.
Get the cleaner shrimps and many more marine fish : support@kenyamarinecenter.com
Sustainability and growth in the industry of marine ornamental trade are two factors which are very essential. Kenya Marine Center; one of the largest exporters of marine ornaments in the world is affected by these two industry indicators, in order to ensure a healthy and reliable business environment we have to always advocated for sustainability in our business operations to foot for surety in business growth. Sustainability and growth are correlative giving a wide platform for measurements and observations. We have been in this industry for the 11 years exporting marine fish from the Indian Ocean (E.A) to most parts of the world and 2 years practicing offshore mariculture of soft corals. We have grown in size and in knowledge with an increasing clientele list importing the variety of marine ornaments in our stocks.
This impressive milestone is
accomplished through a team of experienced, competent and aggressive marine
biologists. This dedicated team conducts researches and apply varied
innovations to ensure growth and development towards improving the quality of
our marine fish and soft corals that we export to our clients.
Various successful experiments conducted
by this team motivated them to start a marine biology club with the intentions
of providing a knowledge base to share, learn and contribute to the emerging
and important factors in the industry of marine ornamental trade.
This knowledge base will be focusing on
influencing the trade of marine ornaments from a biological aspect. Several
topics on marine biology have been discussed and expounded with most biologists
working towards species developments and modifications. This club will not be
disputing any work from any biologist but will be providing results of the
researches and experiments done at Kenya Marine Center with our species.
Contributions: This marine biology club is an open group, which will appreciate various contributions from other marine biologists. As the intentions are very clear, this is a knowledge base and knowledge is universal and varied but opinions are personal and must be respected.
Some major topics that we shall be
focusing on include:
Population Genetics of
Marine Organisms.
A
major contribution of population genetic studies to marine biology has been the
identification of sibling or cryptic biological species within morphologically
defined taxa.
Marine Organisms/species.
Research
on specific marine species/organism evolution, their uniqueness etc.
Microplastics in Marine
Food Web.
Although
microplastics are a relatively new topic in the environmental sciences,
researchers have been able to learn from the experimental approaches and
understanding gleaned from the fields of ecotoxicology, marine biology, and
aquatic chemistry.
Processes.
How
do organisms in the marine environment move, get energy, or reproduce? How do
they adapt to the stresses of their environment? How do they interact with each
other? When we examine processes, we think about the physiology of an organism
(i.e, how does it work?) as well as how that organism is similar to or
different from other life in the ocean. This can advance our understanding of
marine life.
Habitats and Ecosystems.
Marine
life does not exist alone. It is part of a complex system of interactions with
other organisms and the physical environment. Studying the ‘big picture’
through ecology or oceanography is a critical part of marine biology.
Changing Oceans.
The oceans are constantly changing due to the natural cycles of tides or seasons to longer-term changes in global climate. Humans influence change in the oceans as societal and economic forces drive what we take out of the ocean and what we put in. Marine Biologists have an important voice in decisions about conservation and marine policy.
LEAD BIOLOGISTSOFT CORALS BIOLOGISTMARINE FISH BIOLOGIST
