P.E.I. scientist finding how 'Dory' gets from reef to aquarium

Growing up in O'Leary, P.E.I., Andrea Reid says she studiedevery National Geographic she could get her hands on. Now the society behind the magazine is funding her PhD research.

Reid, a National Geographic explorer, is working on a project called Reef to Aquarium. It looks at ways of making the aquarium trade more sustainable, she told Mainstreet's Angela Walker.

"It's often demonized in the media with a lot of attention on the use of cyanide and harmful fishing practices for collecting aquarium fish," she said.

The aquarium trade is also a multi-billion-dollar global industry where movie characters like Disney's Dory a blue tang or Paracanthurus hepatus can be exploited, she said.

"Humans are involved throughout this supply chain where this is their primary livelihood and they depend on a healthy trade to sustain themselves and their families."

Reid is collaborating with three other National Geographic explorers on the project.

"Consumers need to know where theirmoney is going," she said. "Aquariumhobbyists love it butthey're always looking for ways to treat fish better."

The Reef to Aquarium team wants to provide information on where the fish are coming from andhow that affects the fishers and environment. Eventually they plan to buildaninteractivewebsite showing how the trade works.

"You'll be able towalk through the supply chain of fish, starting in the small Pacific islands, then to a larger shipping centre like Baliand eventually to LosAngeles."

The team is alsoworking on a documentary. But right now they're trying to hookpeople on a one-minute video about Reef to Aquarium.

It's part of an online competition by the National Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada, thelargest science funding body in Canada. The 25 videos with the most views will proceed to the judges' panel, where they will compete for one of 15 cash prizes.

The deadline for voting is March 2.

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