The Elegance Coral Project
- Thread starter EricHugo
- Start date
Eric, I found a Cat that looks puffy and short tentacled on ebay at this url: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3212&item=2388627275.
Also found one that look healthy - for now - at this url: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2390404436&category=46308
Take a look and if you want either and I'll start bidding, but you gotta let me know! Thanks
Also found one that look healthy - for now - at this url: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2390404436&category=46308
Take a look and if you want either and I'll start bidding, but you gotta let me know! Thanks
Hi Dan:
Thanks...I'll do a trial.
To all who have sent me corals over the pastr week, many many many thanks.
We are currently at 29 elegance corals of which seven are alive and in tanks being obsreved, and in the presence of one healthy elegance coral. I have not seen any transfer of the condition to other corals to date. There are several different appearances of sick corals so far, but also so far all appear to have at least some development of the as yet unidentified white material within the calcicoblastic tissues or underneath them.
I am also not at all convinced anymore that these are all the same condition, but we'll see.
I think I have enough formalin fixed material now, and if anyone finds other sick corals, I would prefer at this point to have them ethanol fixed only so I can do other things that I cannot with formalin fixation.
Otherwise, just send live corals and I will lyse the tissue or flash freeze them upon arrival.
We have reached the monetary goal, and then some. Of course, this was an estimate, and depending on the cost of the work, it may be too much or too little. If it is too much, we can put it towards another study after this one is completed.
Thanks to everyone for the support.
Current needs: about twelve more sick elegance corals, and about eight more healthy ones. Piece of cake.
At any point, I have enough material, excluding healthy corals, to start work in earnest and additional corals will be supplementary and increase the significance (or lack thereof) of any results.
I will try to get a current update of all the donations asap - I know I am behind on that, but life is hectic sometimes. To top everything off, I was just asked to be a co-author on another book chapter on effects of climate change on coral reefs, and the chapter is due by the Okinawa conference date in June...insane!!! So, forgive me if I have been lax in emails or recognition of shipments of corals.
I sincerely thank all of you involved in this. Now it is time to find the answer.
fwiw, I will go ahead and buy doxycycline and intiate that trial this week...that's an easy one to knock out.
revjlw - that's a great one!!! Anyone nearby to pick it up? Yes, please do bid away on it. They're going to be upset when we tell them to stick in alcohol and mail it.
Thanks...I'll do a trial.
To all who have sent me corals over the pastr week, many many many thanks.
We are currently at 29 elegance corals of which seven are alive and in tanks being obsreved, and in the presence of one healthy elegance coral. I have not seen any transfer of the condition to other corals to date. There are several different appearances of sick corals so far, but also so far all appear to have at least some development of the as yet unidentified white material within the calcicoblastic tissues or underneath them.
I am also not at all convinced anymore that these are all the same condition, but we'll see.
I think I have enough formalin fixed material now, and if anyone finds other sick corals, I would prefer at this point to have them ethanol fixed only so I can do other things that I cannot with formalin fixation.
Otherwise, just send live corals and I will lyse the tissue or flash freeze them upon arrival.
We have reached the monetary goal, and then some. Of course, this was an estimate, and depending on the cost of the work, it may be too much or too little. If it is too much, we can put it towards another study after this one is completed.
Thanks to everyone for the support.
Current needs: about twelve more sick elegance corals, and about eight more healthy ones. Piece of cake.
At any point, I have enough material, excluding healthy corals, to start work in earnest and additional corals will be supplementary and increase the significance (or lack thereof) of any results.
I will try to get a current update of all the donations asap - I know I am behind on that, but life is hectic sometimes. To top everything off, I was just asked to be a co-author on another book chapter on effects of climate change on coral reefs, and the chapter is due by the Okinawa conference date in June...insane!!! So, forgive me if I have been lax in emails or recognition of shipments of corals.
I sincerely thank all of you involved in this. Now it is time to find the answer.
fwiw, I will go ahead and buy doxycycline and intiate that trial this week...that's an easy one to knock out.
revjlw - that's a great one!!! Anyone nearby to pick it up? Yes, please do bid away on it. They're going to be upset when we tell them to stick in alcohol and mail it.
goblinsharkman
New member
Eric, its Ben Frable thank you so much for your presentation on the project today at CMAS. Im gonna get in contact with you in a couple days (working hard on that essay) I might get an internship at the national Zoo (talked to the woman who runs the invert house) i think they hav a big elegance, u probably talked to her. Once again thank you
Good job!, now get up and lets move on...
Good job!, now get up and lets move on...
Glad to see monetary goals are met. Hope to see some conclusive results from the project.
OK now we have shown our ability to pool resources and fund a research project, how bout we go forward for furthur funding opportunities, and possibly take applications, start a board of experts to review funding and get the ball rolling. Let's see if this hobby can really help support efforts to keep the reef safe and develope propagation techniques, repopulation techniques etc. I will contribute what I can, is there anyone who can help organize, drive, and arrange other aspects of such a research foundation?
Ron
Good job!, now get up and lets move on...
Glad to see monetary goals are met. Hope to see some conclusive results from the project.
OK now we have shown our ability to pool resources and fund a research project, how bout we go forward for furthur funding opportunities, and possibly take applications, start a board of experts to review funding and get the ball rolling. Let's see if this hobby can really help support efforts to keep the reef safe and develope propagation techniques, repopulation techniques etc. I will contribute what I can, is there anyone who can help organize, drive, and arrange other aspects of such a research foundation?
Ron
zenya
Premium Member
I'll be right along with you,Ron and give what I can 
it would be nice if we could have such organization and opportunity to help this great effort. I know Eric is working real hard at it and I'm glad that this board and hobby came through for this project. I hope that we can do so much more...
it would be nice if we could have such organization and opportunity to help this great effort. I know Eric is working real hard at it and I'm glad that this board and hobby came through for this project. I hope that we can do so much more...Gene & Ron:
I'm with you guys for the long haul. I'm not so sure that this current project is totally funded but I'll let Eric talk about that. As far as I know, he still needs many more Elegance corals and the project is far from completion. Although, I know from speaking with him that he has some interesting results to date.
Anyway, count me in for continued contributions and any other help that I can provide. Hopefully, our efforts will be well worth it and this hobby will just continue to evolve and improve. Hey, maybe one day we will be able to propagate and keep some Nephtheid species alive in our tanks? Sure would be nice..................
I'm with you guys for the long haul. I'm not so sure that this current project is totally funded but I'll let Eric talk about that. As far as I know, he still needs many more Elegance corals and the project is far from completion. Although, I know from speaking with him that he has some interesting results to date.
Anyway, count me in for continued contributions and any other help that I can provide. Hopefully, our efforts will be well worth it and this hobby will just continue to evolve and improve. Hey, maybe one day we will be able to propagate and keep some Nephtheid species alive in our tanks? Sure would be nice..................
Is crpeck still out there? You did such great work with this funding and keeping track of things I wonder if you have that ability on a more long term basis. Formation and organization of such an enterprise is outside of my expertise, but I will participate any way I can. We also will likely need legal and accounting help and it would be nice to get tax defered status (Am I getting too far ahead of myself here?)
Ron
Ron
crpeck
Premium Member
To keep this going as a full-fledged research organization has been my dream since the beginning of this project. My offer still stands to volunteer the accounting and administrative aspect as I have been doing with the project so far.
Here's what we need to keep it going:
1. We need to form a corporation which could then apply for tax-exempt status. We would have to pick a "home base" state in which to form the corporation and have a permanent address. I don't think there is any requirement that the state of incorporation be where most of the research work is done, but logistically that might be easier.
2. The Corporation would need a volunteer board who could commit to having meetings. I believe that most states would allow conference call meetings rather than physical presence, but that is a legal question.
3. We would need to have a plan/committee to establish criteria for projects that we fund and fund according to our plan. Since we would be a "foundation" type of organization which directed our money to fund others rather than actively performing our research activity ourselves, that plan is important. So we would need a committed group of at least 5 people I would think to serve.
There is a nonprofit attorney here in Memphis who has volunteered to help with an organization I'm on the Board of here that I was getting ready to call. I'll try and pick his brain to see just what is involved. I don't mind if you all wanted to set it up here in Tennessee and have me take care of the administrative stuff. I think we might be more credible and have a better chance to build, though, if RC or someone got behind us and wanted to have the permanent location and address through them. On the other hand, we already have a bank account set up in Tennessee and it might be easier for me to handle the administration if it was here.
Bottom line is that we kind of need an attorney to walk us through the initial steps and then I can take care of it from there.
If we were able to get a nonprofit set up any time before the end of 2004, everyone's contributions so far would retroactively become tax deductible.
Does anyone know any reef minded attorneys that might want to give us their time? Otherwise, I can ask this nonprofit guy here if he would help us. Since he's not a fish guy ... at least I don't know if he is, he would probably want to charge. I can at least ask him how much it would take to set things up.
Once I survive through tomorrow ... assuming I do
I can do whatever. April 15 is a bad day for accountants.
It's great to see all of you staying involved!
Later,
Cathy
Here's what we need to keep it going:
1. We need to form a corporation which could then apply for tax-exempt status. We would have to pick a "home base" state in which to form the corporation and have a permanent address. I don't think there is any requirement that the state of incorporation be where most of the research work is done, but logistically that might be easier.
2. The Corporation would need a volunteer board who could commit to having meetings. I believe that most states would allow conference call meetings rather than physical presence, but that is a legal question.
3. We would need to have a plan/committee to establish criteria for projects that we fund and fund according to our plan. Since we would be a "foundation" type of organization which directed our money to fund others rather than actively performing our research activity ourselves, that plan is important. So we would need a committed group of at least 5 people I would think to serve.
There is a nonprofit attorney here in Memphis who has volunteered to help with an organization I'm on the Board of here that I was getting ready to call. I'll try and pick his brain to see just what is involved. I don't mind if you all wanted to set it up here in Tennessee and have me take care of the administrative stuff. I think we might be more credible and have a better chance to build, though, if RC or someone got behind us and wanted to have the permanent location and address through them. On the other hand, we already have a bank account set up in Tennessee and it might be easier for me to handle the administration if it was here.
Bottom line is that we kind of need an attorney to walk us through the initial steps and then I can take care of it from there.
If we were able to get a nonprofit set up any time before the end of 2004, everyone's contributions so far would retroactively become tax deductible.
Does anyone know any reef minded attorneys that might want to give us their time? Otherwise, I can ask this nonprofit guy here if he would help us. Since he's not a fish guy ... at least I don't know if he is, he would probably want to charge. I can at least ask him how much it would take to set things up.
Once I survive through tomorrow ... assuming I do
I can do whatever. April 15 is a bad day for accountants. It's great to see all of you staying involved!
Later,
Cathy
Hey Cathy glad you are still in touch!! good luck with tomorrow. I will volunteer to help with board type functions, and I am on several research and grant review committees currently so I have experience with that (although perhaps less expertise with marine biology than with oncology) at least at this point. Let me know what I can do to help.
Ron
Ron
The nice thing about this project so far is how there is a fund to offer soem compensation to collaborators. Most of the people I have contacted would offer to do something small for free, esepcially is something came out of it for them (publication, etc.), but it is certainly nice to be able to say "by the way, I can pay you something to do the work, too"
I would very much like to see something like this happen. I will talk about it more after this one is completed and show that results actually can happen.
I just turned in my first bunch of receipts to Cathy and pulled a reimbursement from the fund for $511. The money was for some coral shipping charges, a couple of elegance corals, and lab supplies. Right now, I have samples and descriptions to Esther Peters (coral histopathlogist) and Tracy Mincer and Bill Fenical (identification of putatuve Actinomycetes). '
I have also received a kind donation of seven elegance corals directly from Indonesia - from Sumatra, Java, "Bali" and Sulawesi. We are working on expanding the documentation of another direct shipment with no tanks invovled at all.
Some of these corals were dying in a short period, but did not appear to be dying of the same condiiton. Other still appear healthy.
I am also waiting on the doxycycline I ordered, and will do a test on its effectiveness as soon as it arrives.
Contagion experiments are not showing a contagious condition, so far. These trials have been limited though due to a lack of healthy corals and a minimal effort for me to truly make my elegance sick and die.
I wish some of the people who have claimed that they have such great success with doxycycline would send me some of these healthy corals. Certainly if its so effective, there must be a lot of healthy elegance out there, right? ;-)
I would very much like to see something like this happen. I will talk about it more after this one is completed and show that results actually can happen.
I just turned in my first bunch of receipts to Cathy and pulled a reimbursement from the fund for $511. The money was for some coral shipping charges, a couple of elegance corals, and lab supplies. Right now, I have samples and descriptions to Esther Peters (coral histopathlogist) and Tracy Mincer and Bill Fenical (identification of putatuve Actinomycetes). '
I have also received a kind donation of seven elegance corals directly from Indonesia - from Sumatra, Java, "Bali" and Sulawesi. We are working on expanding the documentation of another direct shipment with no tanks invovled at all.
Some of these corals were dying in a short period, but did not appear to be dying of the same condiiton. Other still appear healthy.
I am also waiting on the doxycycline I ordered, and will do a test on its effectiveness as soon as it arrives.
Contagion experiments are not showing a contagious condition, so far. These trials have been limited though due to a lack of healthy corals and a minimal effort for me to truly make my elegance sick and die.
I wish some of the people who have claimed that they have such great success with doxycycline would send me some of these healthy corals. Certainly if its so effective, there must be a lot of healthy elegance out there, right? ;-)
Speaking of which.....If anyone sees other species with white deposits, webs, etc on it, I would now be interested in looking at that, too. The white cheesy stuff that sometimes affects zoanthids, Euphyllia, etc. Send me photos, and then stick some in a small bottle/vial with some sediment and seawater and second day air it to me.
Thanks,
Thanks,
Dr. Borneman,
Sounds like things are progressing with the elegance project. I hope the condition isn't too contageous, a bacterium would be nice because that should be treatable. How long is the delay on the doxycycline? Do you need any particular form or concentration? This may be something I could help with if you have a problem getting it.
Cathy, Gene and others, the "elegance foundatation" also will have to decide what type of scale to fund on. Perhaps, initially, funding small projects and pilot projects could be the focus (under $5-10K). Also, one might consider establishing an 'elegance' fellowship for a young investigator or marine biologist in training to help with summer or off season fellowship activities. The possibilities are large. Preliminary reports could be published in a simple newsletter allowing people to see where the money goes and giving contributors something in hand for their effort. Perhaps a membership initiative at one of the national meetings with a booth, maybe T shirts etc. Foundation sponsorship could include discounts to hobby related stores, perhaps an annual award and trip to MACNA or meeting fees etc. A web site could be established with adds from stores and discount adds for stores that help with promotions etc. Other thoughts come to mind that would be best expressed elsewhere, I am excited by the possibilities! I truly hope we can make this work.
Ron
Sounds like things are progressing with the elegance project. I hope the condition isn't too contageous, a bacterium would be nice because that should be treatable. How long is the delay on the doxycycline? Do you need any particular form or concentration? This may be something I could help with if you have a problem getting it.
Cathy, Gene and others, the "elegance foundatation" also will have to decide what type of scale to fund on. Perhaps, initially, funding small projects and pilot projects could be the focus (under $5-10K). Also, one might consider establishing an 'elegance' fellowship for a young investigator or marine biologist in training to help with summer or off season fellowship activities. The possibilities are large. Preliminary reports could be published in a simple newsletter allowing people to see where the money goes and giving contributors something in hand for their effort. Perhaps a membership initiative at one of the national meetings with a booth, maybe T shirts etc. Foundation sponsorship could include discounts to hobby related stores, perhaps an annual award and trip to MACNA or meeting fees etc. A web site could be established with adds from stores and discount adds for stores that help with promotions etc. Other thoughts come to mind that would be best expressed elsewhere, I am excited by the possibilities! I truly hope we can make this work.
Ron
Similar threads
