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Coral Survey
: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 18:42:55 EST

CNIDARIAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Department of Educational Services

Dear Marine/Reef Aquarium Owner:

Please take a few minutes to complete this Reef Aquarium Survey. This survey will be used to compile information for an upcoming international scientific conference on coral reef monitoring and restoration. The results of the data gathered here are not being used to directly affect or legislate (positively or negatively) the marine aquarium hobby or trade. It is being used to assess the impact of the marine aquarium trade on natural reef populations. The results of the individual respondents will remain strictly confidential. We will not sell, trade, or distribute any email addresses, names or personal identifying information. You may choose to leave out any identifying information when you complete the survey. The results of the information gathered here will also be available to any interested parties following the conference. Please make any efforts in distributing this survey to others including internet/email distribution, marine aquarium societies, retail facilities, fellow aquarists, etc.)

Directions:

Please answer as carefully and honestly as possible. If you are unsure of the answer to a question, please type the letters, "n/a." Please copy and paste this into email and send back to CRISurvey@aol.com or to request a copy via email, send your request to Chrysaora@aol.com . If you would like to print this, or have received this survey on paper, please complete it and mail to: CRI, Education Services, 8405 Bardwell Ave. Panorama City,. CA 91402



Marine/Reef Aquarium Owners Survey
Reply to CRISurvey@aol.com
Copy and paste this form into email.
All responses will be kept confidential.


Name (optional) :
Email address (optional) :
Country of residence :
State/territory of residence :


Section 1: General Information

1. How long have you been keeping marine aquaria? ____less than 1 year ____1 - 2 years ____ 2 - 3 years ____4 - 5 years ____ 5+ years

2. How many marine aquariums do you currently have setup with animals? ____ 1 ____ 2 - 3 ____ 4 - 5 ____ 6 - 9 ____ 10 +

3. What is the average size of your aquarium(s)? ____________________

4. Which "method" best describes your basic aquarium keeping style?
_____mechanical (wet/dry, undergravel, canister, chemical filtration, mechanical filtration, sterilization, ozone, etc.)
_____Berlin (protein skimming as primary filtration)
_____ Jaubert (unskimmed)
_____ ATS (algae scrubbing)
_____other/combination
5. Have your "methods" changed since you began keeping marine aquaria : _____YES _____NO
6. Would you say your "methods" have improved, resulting in a higher survival rate of organisms in your care? _____YES _____NO

7. What is your primary source of information regarding aquarium husbandry?
_____Books
_____Magazines
_____Pet Stores
_____Internet
_____Fellow Aquarists
_____Other_____________________________________________

8. How many aquarium related books do you own? ____ 0 to 1 ____ 2 to 3 ____ 4 to 6 ____ 7 to 9 ____ 10+
9. Are you a member of an aquarium club? ____ YES ____ NO
10. Have you attended a regional or national conference? (WMC, MACNA) _____YES _____ NO
11. Do you belong to any ocean/reef conservation groups? _____YES _____NO
12. Have you skin/SCUBA dived on coral reefs? _____YES _____NO

13. Do you belong to or participate in any of the following internet aquarium resources?
____ FISHNET-Compuseve
____ Fish and Marinelife- America Online
____ Reef-list
____ #Reefs/Reefs.org
____ Aqualink
____ Reefkeepers
_____Others______________________________________________________
14. In terms of your aquarium husbandry abilities, do you consider yourself:: ____Novice ____ Intermediate ____ Advanced

15. What is the highest level of education you have completed?: ____ high school ____ college ____ graduate

16. What is your sex? ____ Male ____ Female
17. What is your age?
____10 - 15 ____16 - 21 ____22 - 30 ____31-40 ____41-50 ____51-60_____60+
18. What is your household income (US $) level? ______ less than 10,000 _____ 10,000 - 25,000 _____ 25,000 - 50,000 ______ 50,000 - 75,000 _____75,000 - 100,000 _____more than 100,000
19. On average, how much do you spend each month on your marine aquariums (food, electricity, salt, water, new livestock, etc.) _______________________________


Section 2: Livestock
1. How many different species of living organisms do you keep (not including those unintentionally found or part of a reef microcosm, such as small worms, amphipods, etc.)?
____ 1 -10 ____11 - 20 ____ 21 -30 ____ 31 - 40 ____ 41 - 50
____ 50+
2. How many different species of fish do you currently keep? ____ 0 - 1 ____ 2 - 3 ____ 4 - 6 ____ 7 - 9 ____ 10+
How many different species of fish have you kept in total, including those which, for one reason or another, are no longer in your care (mortality, returned, etc.)
_____0 -1 _____2 - 5 _____5 - 10 _____10 - 20 _____20 +
3. On average, how long do your fish live? ____ weeks to 1 month ____ less than 6 months ____ 6 months - 1 year ____ 1 - 2 years ____ 2 - 3 years ____ 3 - 4 years ____ 4 - 5 years ____ 5+ years
4. How old is your oldest fish?
____ less than 6 months ____ 6 months - 1 year ____ 1 - 2 years ____ 2 - 3 years
____ 3 - 4 years ____ 4 - 5 years ____ 5+ years
What kind? __________________________________
5. Of the following general groups of fish, how many of each have you kept (living or dead) since you began in the aquarium hobby:

Pufferfish and Boxfish
Lionfish and Scorpionfish
Wrasse
Angelfish-
Large/Dwarf
Butterflyfish
Triggerfish and Filefish
Blennies
Damselfish
And Chromis
Tangs
Seahorses
and Pipefish
Eels
Sharks
and Rays
Hawkfish
Snappers and Groupers
Dragonets
Gobies
Dottybacks
and Grammas
Anthias
Cardinalfish
Clownfish
Others

6. How many different species of invertebrates (excluding corals) do you currently keep?
____ 0 - 1 ____ 2 - 3 ____ 4 - 6 ____ 7 - 9 ____ 10+
7. How many different species of invertebrates have you kept in total, including those which, for one reason or another, are no longer in your care (mortality, returned, etc.)
_____0 -1 _____2 - 5 _____5 - 10 _____10 - 20 _____20 +
8. On average, how long do your invertebrates live? ____ weeks to 1 month ____ less than 6 months ____ 6 months - 1 year ____ 1 - 2 years ____ 2 - 3 years ____ 3 - 4 years ____ 4 - 5 years ____ 5+ years
9. How old is your oldest invertebrate?
____ less than 6 months ____ 6 months - 1 year ____ 1 - 2 years ____ 2 - 3 years
____ 3 - 4 years ____ 4 - 5 years ____ 5+ years
What kind?__________________________________
10. Of the following general groups of invertebrates, how many of each have you kept (living or dead) since you began in the aquarium hobby:

Anemones
Tridacna (giant) clams
Other bivalves (scallops, clams, oysters, mussels, etc.)
Gastropods (Algae snails, cowries, etc.)
Echinoderms (sea stars, brittle stars, urchins, etc.)
Polychaetes (feather duster worms, etc.)
Shrimps
Sponges
Cephalopods (cuttlefish, squid, octopii)
Crabs
Lobsters
Holothuroids (Sea cucumbers, sea apples, etc.)

11. How many different species of corals do you currently keep? ____ 0 to 1 ____ 2 - 3 ____ 4 - 6 ____ 7 - 9 ____ 10+
12. How many different species of corals have you kept in total, including those which, for one reason or another, are no longer in your care (mortality, returned, etc.)
_____0 -1 _____2 - 5 _____5 - 10 _____10 - 20 _____20 +
13. On average, how long do your corals live? ____ weeks to 1 month ____ less than 6 months ____ 6 months - 1 year ____ 1 - 2 years ____ 2 - 3 years ____ 3 - 4 years ____ 4 - 5 years ____ 5+ years
14. How old is your oldest coral?
____ less than 6 months ____ 6 months - 1 year ____ 1 - 2 years ____ 2 - 3 years
____ 3 - 4 years ____ 4 - 5 years ____ 5+ years
What kind?__________________________________
15. Of the following general groups of corals, have many of each have you kept since you began in the hobby:

Asymbiotic stony corals

(Tubastraea) (Sun), etc.)
Faviids and Mussids (Moon,Pineapple Closed Brain, etc.)
Pocilloporids (Pocillopora) (Cauliflower), (Seriatopora) (Bird's nest) (Stylophora etc.)
Caryophyllids (Elegance, Hammer, Frogspawn, Bubble, Fox, etc.)
Poritids (Porites, Goniopora (Flowerpot), etc.)
Trachyphyllia (Open brain)
Dendrophyllids

(Turbinaria) Cup, Pagoda,)
Fungiids (Fungia, plate, mushroom, etc.)
Agariciids (Pavona cactus, etc.)
Acroporids (Acropora, Montipora, etc.)
Oculiniids (Galaxea, etc.)
Others (Merulina, Pectinia, etc.)
Asymbiotic Octocorals

(Dendronepthya) (Carnation), Gorgonians (Pacifics, Red Trees, etc.)
Symbiotic Neptheids (Tree Corals, Finger Soft corals, etc. (Nepthea, Litophyton, Capnella, etc.)
Stoloniferans (Star polyps, etc.)
(Clavularia, Pachyclavularia )
Corallimorphs (mushrooms)
Alcyonaceans (Leather corals) (Sinularia, Sarcophyton, Lobophytum, etc)
Symbiotic gorgonians (Sea whips, sea fans, sea plumes etc.)
Xeniids (Xenia, Anthelia, etc. pulse, waving hand corals, etc.)
Zoanthids (Zoanthus, Palythoa, etc.) (button polyps, sea mats, yellow polyps, etc. )
Others

16. What percentage of your livestock purchases are done through RETAIL stores?
__________
17. What percentage of your livestock purchases are done through MAIL ORDER stores? _________
18. What percentage of your livestock purchases are done through CAPTIVE SOURCES? _________
19. What percentage of your livestock purchases are done through OTHER means?
_________ What? ______________________
20. Do you have any aqua-cultured or captive raised fish? ____ YES ____ NO
21. Have you ever provided others with captive raised fish from your own livestock? _____YES _____NO
How many times? _____1 - 2 _____2 - 3 _____3 - 5 _____5 - 10
_____10 +
20. Do you have any aqua-cultured or captive raised invertebrates? ____ YES ____ NO
21. Have you ever provided others with captive raised invertebrates from your own livestock?
_____YES _____NO
How many times? _____1 - 2 _____2 - 3 _____3 - 5 _____5 - 10
_____10 +
20. Do you have any aqua-cultured or captive raised corals? ____ YES ____ NO
21. Have you ever provided others with captive raised corals from your own livestock?
_____YES _____NO
How many times? _____1 - 2 _____2 - 3 _____3 - 5 _____5 - 10
_____10 +
22. Would you choose captive bred fish/invertebrates/corals over wild caught fish if the price was the same? ____ YES ____ NO
23. Would you choose captive bred fish/invertebrates/corals over wild caught fish if the price was higher? ____ YES ____ NO

Section 3: Substrate
1. Do you use 'live rock' in any of your aquariums? _____ YES _____ NO
2. How many pounds of live rock have you purchased since you started in the hobby? ________
4. Is any of your live rock aquacultured? _____YES _____NO
5. If so, how much? _________
6. Do you use 'live sand' in any of your aquariums? _____ YES _____ NO
7. How many pounds of live sand have you purchased since you started in the hobby? ________
8. Do you use "dead sand" in your aquariums (Carib Sea, oolite, etc.)? _____YES _____NO
9. How many pounds of "dead sand" have you purchased wince you started in the hobby? ___________
10. Do you own/have you ever purchased dead/decorative coral skeletons for use in your marine aquaria?
_____YES _____NO
11. If so, how many pieces have you purchased?
__________


Section 4: Impressions

1. Regarding the quality/health/survivability of organisms which you purchase today compared to when you began keeping marine aquaria, do you feel they are: ___much better ____better ____the same _____worse ____much
worse

2. Regarding the diversity of organisms which you purchase today compared to when you began keeping marine aquaria, do you feel there are: ___much more ____more ____the same _____fewer ____much fewer

3. Regarding the total number of organisms which you purchase today compared to when you began keeping marine aquaria, do you feel they are:
___much more ____more ____the same _____fewer ____much fewer

4. On average, have the prices you pay for livestock since you began keeping marine aquaria:
_____increased substantially ____increased somewhat _____stayed about the
same _____decreased somewhat _____decreased substantially

5. Overall, would you say that the survival of organisms in your care has: ____ increased substantially ____increased somewhat _____stayed about the same ____decreased somewhat _____decreased substantially

6. Would you pay more for animals if a part of the proceeds went to reef conservation?
____ YES ____ NO

7. What is the most money you have spent for any 1 living organisms in your aquarium?
_____________________

8. What is the major reason why you keep marine/reef aquaria?
_____relaxing
_____challenging
_____decorative/beautiful
_____learning/research
_____financial
_____other_________________________________________

9. In general, how much do you personally know about an organism before you purchase it for use in your marine/reef aquarium?
_____thoroughly investigate/very familiar
_____investigate some/somewhat familiar
_____trust the source/store/others and do not investigate further
_____purchase upon sight, discovery or impulse/unfamiliar
_____don't care

10. How much impact do you think the marine/reef aquarium hobby has on natural reefs?
_____highly significant
_____somewhat significant
_____somewhat insignificant
_____highly insignificant
_____not sure

11. How much effort do you think the marine/reef aquarium hobby/trade expends on sustainable harvest/proper collection of organisms, including their care in ensuring organism survival?
______great effort
______some effort
______little effort
______very little effort

12. Where do you feel that the most loss of life of marine organisms for the marine/reef aquarium trade happens?
_____collection level
_____ wholesale level
_____retail level
_____consumer/hobbyist level
_____shipping/transport

13. What do you feel is the primary reason for organism mortality in other's care?
_____ financial
_____educational
_____methodological/equipment
_____attitude/effort to keep alive
_____other_________________________________________________________

14. What do you feel is the primary reason for organism mortality in your care?
_____ financial
_____educational
_____methodological/equipment
_____attitude/effort to keep alive
_____other_________________________________________________________

Thank you very much for your time in completing this form. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to address them to the addresses above.