Speakers

Bio

Matt Pedersen currently resides in Duluth, MN, and has been a marine aquarist for 23 years, and an aquarist for 28 years. Matt's current area of interest is marine fish breeding. He has currently spawned 17 species of marine fish, successfully raising six of them including one worldwide first (the Harlequin Filefish, Oxymonacanthus longirostris). Matt Pedersen is credited with starting MOFIB (Marine Ornamental Fish & Invertebrate Breeder's Association) and writing for multiple publications including Coral, Koralle, Practical Fishkeeping and Reef Hobbyist Magazine. Matt was awarded "Aquarist of the Year" honors by both IMAC West and MASNA in 2009 in recognition of his accomplishments and contributions to the marine aquarium hobby.

Bio

Bio

Eric is a PH.D. candidate in the Department of Biology at the University of Houston. Eric's primary research area is in the field of apoptosis and stress-related factors in coral disease. He currently serves as the chairperson for the model systems committee of the Coral Disease and Health Consortium in order to develop clonal lines of coral "lab rats" for disease research. He has also recently co-written book chapters, "Indirect Specied Interactions on Coral Reefs", and "Coral Reefs and Climate Change Science" An overview of the effects of CO2 for an upcoming book.

Eric received the "Aquarist of the Year" award by the Marine Aquarium Societies of North American in 2002 for contributions to the field of coral husbandry, and has written two books on the subject, including the acclaimed book Aquarium Corals: Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History, and is co-author of the book, A Practical Guide to Corals.

Eric is also involved in aquarium trade sustainability issues, diseases and reproduction in captive corals, and is currently conducting coral disease research at the Texas Flower Garden Banks. He hosts the Coral Forum, an advanced coral husbandry forum on the internet site, Reef Central, and is a science editor of Reefkeeping magazine. Eric has contributed hundreds of articles in many sources to the international reefkeeping community and has lectured worldwide on the subject of coral husbandry. He has been diving and photographing coral reefs all over the world for over 25 years - an experience from which he never tires.

His most recent books include:

• Aquarium Corals : Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History (2001)
• A Practical Guide to Corals for the Reef Aquarium (1996)
• Aquarium Corals: Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History (????)

More information about him can be found here.