HOW AQUACULTURE IS HELPING TO SAVE OUR OCEANS FORT PIERCE, FL. Ð The demand for seafood and even tropical fish to decorate aquariums is stretching the capacity of the world's oceans to produce those fish to the limit, so much so that many species are in danger of disappearing. That's where the science of Aquaculture as it's being developed at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Inc., is stepping in to help meet demand. Dave Vaughan, Ph.D., Director of the Aquaculture Division and an innovator in this emerging technology, will talk about "Hatching the Reefs: Saving Our Ocean's Reefs Through Aquaculture", on Thursday, February 24, starting at 7pm at the J. Seward Johnson Marine Education and Conference Center at Harbor Branch. The presentation is open to the public. Cost is $3 for associates, and $6 for the general public. More than 20 species of ornamental fish for aquariums are now being grown successfully at Harbor Branch, eliminating the need to catch them from the world's reefs in ways that are often destructive and long-lasting. But it doesn't stop there, Vaughan said. "Not only are we growing the ornamental fish many people love to see in their aquariums, but we're also learning how to grow the actual reef itself, including the inverterbrates, such as sea fans, that also decorate the environment," Vaughan said. The aquaculture division has also been successful in growing species of fish, clams, and shrimp for food consumption in ways that can be taught to anyone with the time and a location suitable for the equipment that's needed. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Inc. is one of the world's leading nonprofit oceanographic research organizations dedicated to the exploration of the earth's oceans, estuaries and coastal regions for the benefit of mankind.