Brian's background reflects his efforts to integrate all three into his career. Brian is currently a doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Houston researching collaborative knowledge building and online knowledge communities. Previously, Brian received a MS in Educational Technology (1997) and a BS in Natural Resources and Environmental Science (1994), both from Purdue University. Brian has been in the aquarium hobby for 12 years (7 years FW, 5 years SW) has been actively involved in captive breeding of aquarium inhabitants for most of those years.

ABSTRACT

"The Desirable Invertebrates Breeding Society: Working Together as a Community"

Brian Plankis is the Founder of the Desirable Invertebrates Breeding Society (Project DIBS), a growing community dedicated to collaboration, distribution and education related to breeding marine invertebrates in captivity. Coral reefs are declining around the world, with approximately 25% destroyed and 50% damaged. Collection for the aquarium hobby is one of the stressors on wild reefs. One way hobbyists can help reduce their impact is by breeding invertebrates in their systems.

Do you know what percentages of the invertebrates in our tanks are wild collected? How many of them are collected in a sustainable fashion? What percentage of the animals we purchase for our tanks are captive bred? How difficult is it to breed invertebrates?

Learn the answers to these questions and many more as Brian presents Project DIBS, thrills the audience with an interactive trivia game, video and audio wizardry (if the technology gremlins are held at bay) and describes concrete ways hobbyists, working together as a community, can help reduce the need for wild collection.