February 2008 Meeting Recap and Pics

This was the WMAS's second Annual Banquet event.  We like to hold this event in February as a pseudo-Valentine's dinner date.  Thanks to Sukie who let the attendees take the centerpiece flowers and give them to our spouses... whew, and I thought I would need to buy something this year.

Special thanks to Jake Pehrson and Flowerama for donating the flowers for the event.

 

Tank of the Month-
This month we featured the aquarium of Dave and Heather Anderson (dca22anderson).  This aquarium is a 750 gallon tank!  Yep, 750 gallon, plus two 180 gallon sumps, plus two 55 gallon frag tanks.  That is one big system!!!  One interesting item regarding this tank was how eco-friendly it was.  Using Utah rock this tank has grown little frags (purchased from our club fund raisers) and grown them into corals the size of basketballs.  A very impressive large tank.

 

Guest Speaker-
This month we brought in Dr. Fred Lipschultz.  Dr. Lipschultz works in the governmental side of coral reef research.  He has a PhD from Harvard and after years of field work he now serves as a Senior Scientist for government panels.  As he describes it, he lives in D.C. and decides how to spend out tax money.  He has extensive work and experience in Carbon testing (CO2 levels) and the relationship of Carbon/Acidity/Global Climatology. 

 

Dr. Lipschultz's presentation began with a review of some common reef inhabitants.  This included angelfish, butterfly fish, seastars, lobster, corals.  It was great to see some pics of animals in the wild and to learn more about their natural behavior.

 

The second half of the presentation focused on Dr. Lipschultz's specialty.  The changes in environment and how those changes will affect coral reefs.  Two main areas of concern were discussed; CO2 levels in the atmosphere and how that will dissolve into seawater, and warming of water temperatures.

 

Door Prize-
Thanks to Richins Carpentry (owner Dion Richins Holdencraft 33) we had a complete turn-key aquarium to give away.  This 14 gallon all-inclusive nano had the tank, sand, rock, and even some frags (donated by presidency members).  The lucky winner was Kristy Spencer! who then explaimed that she wasn't letting Will have another tank... so the next winner was our very own guest speaker Fred Lipschultz.... who politely declined to win the tank... and up next; yep you guessed it, Adam Blundell won.  I declined the tank on one condition, that they don't draw Jake's name as a winner.  So finally good ol' Brian Beck came away with a win.  Be sure to post pics Brian.  Thanks again to Dion (Richins Carpentry) for the donation.

 

Pictures From the Day---

First a trip to Temple Square... thanks to Jake for serving as the resident Mormon guru

 

 

Jake doing his best to answer questions...

 

 

Then it was off to the Zen Center.

Notice the special parking requirements...

 

 

 

Little did you know that being Wasatch Marine Aquarium Society President grants

you the right to park in Sensei parking...

 

 

 

 

A little trip out to Seabase...

 

As Jake would say, the Master and Apprentice

 

 

Time for dinner!

 

 

Check out Sukie's table decorations...

 

 

The presentations begins...

 

 

 

 

 

............

 

Adam 

 

Mike