Teen Works To Protect Coral Reefs

Thursday, October 11th 2007, 10:07 am

By: News On 6

The high-minded purpose is conserving the world's tropical reefs. But, marine aquarium hobbyists just love to grow coral at home. The News On 6â€™s Rick Wells reports, like many hobbies, coral farming at home can become almost addictive.

Marine aquarist Richard Prince has a number of aquariums set up at his home in Jenks. While there are some fish, the set up is more about coral. He says he grows maybe 60 different varieties.

"I hate to say it, but when I started I actually started because of the movie â€˜Finding Nemoâ€™,â€ says marine aquarist Richard Prince.

He started reading about tropical reefs and the things that grow there. He says the more he read the more interested he became.

â€œThe different kinds of brain corals and chalices. That big one is a candy cane. Probably has upwards of 160 heads on it," said Richard Prince.

As the coral continues to grow, the aquarium gets crowded and over grown, so it has to be thinned or pruned. They call it fragging.

The small pieces that are cut are still alive and can be sold, traded or given to other enthusiasts to start coral in another aquarium. Such fragging programs can theoretically help preserve tropical reefs in the ocean.

The Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society is sponsoring a conference this weekend in Oklahoma City.

For more information about the Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society, click here. For information about this weekend's conference in Oklahoma, click here.

Watch the video: A Teen Works To Protect Coral Reefs