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NCPARS EDUCATING STUDENTS ABOUT
REEF AQUARIUM AND MARINE LIFE
By Lou Hunsinger Jr.
The ocean's delicate ecosystems are made up of a
plethora of marine life and global reefs. Aquarium can be a
miniature version of this ecosystem. Understanding reefs and
using them in a proper way in aquariums is the primary focus of an
organization called the North Central Pennsylvania Aquarium Reef
Society (NCPARS). It all got started in 2002 when Al Marzouqi,
known as "Mo" by his friends and students, invited a group of
aquarium keepers of various ages to meet at his house to trade coral
fragments for use in their aquariums. Marzouqi is a certified
scuba diver who has extensive deep sea diving experience and is very
familiar with the ocean's ecosystem. He has since become one
of this area's most dedicated reef educators. The group
decided it wanted to do more than just trade coral fragments,
Members wanted to educate themselves, as well as the public, about
sharing effective ways to care for and propagate more coral.
They then formed their own club- NCPARS. One of the
club's major goals is to protect the ocean's and its inhabitants
through the increasing of the variety and number of captive raised
corals. " We have learned how to conserve and grow coral by
using fragments of existing coral to propagate more coral instead of
constantly depleting the sources of coral in the ocean" Marzouqi
told Webb Weekly People who don't currently have aquariums
can learn about what a good hobby this can be and we are
hopping to teach people about ocean science and the ways to start
and maintain healthy aquariums and how to frag corals and breed
different types of fish. "
The group's website says that they are
"dedicated to the conservation of global reefs through education,
captive coral propagation and trading, assisting local schools with
their systems and sharing of knowledge and resources between members
and the community. "
Members of NCPARS are active at
Montoursville and Loyalsock High Schools and Penn College and
Lycoming College. They are actively involved in working with
biology teachers in putting together aquariums.
Marzouqi said the most important thing to
have when working with aquariums is patience. There is a lot
of care, planning and thought involved in having a good aquarium.
He said systems take long time to cycle.
" This can be an expensive hobby, but all
the knowledge that you and your family gain from it is a treasure,
" Marzouqi said.
Aaron Dahl is a student at South
Williamsport High School and is actively involved with NCPARS.
" I joined to get involved with and learn
more about aquariums, " Dahl said. " It is really a great
group to be a part of and I have learned so much. It has
helped me to have a much better aquarium and helped me to take care
of it better."
" We try to develop coral rocks with having
to take more from the sea and you do this by making use of fragments
of existing coral, " Marzouqi said.
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To find out more cheek the website
www.ncpars.org or
www.reefnest.com
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