I wanted to carry out the family tradition and own my own store since I was 16. Now at 23, I am able to offer my knowledge of aquariums and spread education and passion to foster a new generation of hobbyists and aquarists. It is my goal to help consumers understand the beauty, science and art behind aquariums.

I grew up in the tropical fish business and have been in this environment for as long as I can remember. I watched my father run his aquarium business and started working for my parents at a young age.

I graduated from Royal High School in 2003, and was recruited to work for Marineland Aquaria Inc.

I worked in the aquatic research lab conducting scientific tests and developing new product ideas for the aquarium industry. I stepped out of the industry to take a job for a Realtor, managing his marketing and client database. I quickly realized that my true passion, aquariums, was very much missed, and I decided to resign from my position and pursue my childhood dream of owning an aquarium showroom. I recently graduated from college with a degree in business administration and entrepreneurship.

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Water is the defining element of Hawaii. The ocean’s abundance has fed millions of people in the storied history of the Aloha State, and its beauty has drawn millions of visitors. But to truly experience the wonders of the sea, it’s essential to discover what lies beneath the surface.

That’s how we decided to adventure under the waves via the Atlantis, the world’s largest passenger submarine. Diving just a nautical mile from the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort & Spa [www.HiltonHawaiianVillage.com] on Oahu’s Waikiki Beach, the Atlantis is just one of many family-friendly activities available to the hotel’s guests. It’s like going scuba diving – without getting wet.

Using the world’s most technologically advanced passenger submarines and touring a large area pulsating with marine life, Atlantis offers an underwater experience unique to Hawaii.

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A restaurant in Greater Manchester in the U.K. has been forced to take a tropical fish off its menu after three diners suffered food poisoning.

Francs in Altrincham served Mahi Mahi fish, which is also known as dolphin fish.

Proprietor Nicholas Banks believed that he had followed correct food hygiene procedures but, after three customers fell ill, experts found the fish contained traces of a toxin.

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Wedding proposals might typically involve sun, sand, or a candlelit dinner but one man decided to surprise his partner by popping the question surrounded by tropical sharks, sea turtles, and a school of colourful reef fish.

Michael Cook, 24, of Horn Hill, Lowestoft, took his sweetheart Joy Barker, 25, to the Yarmouth Sea Life Centre yesterdayfor an aquatic adventure which, unbeknown to her, would end in an unorthodox marriage proposal.

The Yarmouth-based centre’s underwater tunnel became a tunnel of love as a scuba diver in the aquarium held up a sign saying ‘Joy Barker, will you complete me and become my wife and make me the happiest man alive, Joy will you marry me?’.

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The tropical Zebrafish that’s popular in ao many Australian household aquariums is also attracting the interest of scientists who think it could hold the key to treating degenerative diseases.

Melbourne’s Monash University recently opened the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute at Clayton.

The Institute’s director, Professor Peter Curre, says scientists are interested in the fish’s transparent embryo.
The embryo is completely optically clear, the whole process of life unfolds in front of you with a Zebrafish embryo. It’s become apparent that Zebrafish have an incredible ability to regenerate organs once they form. So for instance, if you cut of the tip of the heart of a Zebrafish embryo, it’s able to regenerate in total in about two months.

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