AN OVERVIEW
Begun in 1998 by Dr Richard Braley, the Aquasearch Aquarium and Laboratory in Nelly Bay, North Queensland offers world wide consultancies, local aquaculture training and education. It includes a small aquarium for visitor viewing.
Having over 40 years of experience working with fisheries departments, universities and private companies on various aquaculture, fisheries, and marine tourism projects in the Pacific Islands, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Philippines, PNG and Australia. Dr. Richard Braley (BA, MSc, PhD) is also a world expert on giant clams.
Known as the 'Giant Clam Man', Rick spawned Tridacna gigas* which is the true Giant Clam (>100kg and over 1m in shell length), in mid-January 1986 at Seafarm P/L Flying Fish Point (near Innisfail) in North Queensland.
The Aquasearch marine display is also home to hard and soft corals, coralliomorphs, anemones, trochus and a variety of coral reef fish. The marine display tanks are used for breeding marine anemone fish and selected freshwater fish.
The facility includes microscopes, a live foods section, freshwater and some saltwater fish. Basic aquarium supplies are for sale by appointment.
The Aquasearch Aquarium is the only marine display on Magnetic Island that is available for viewing. Rick is the chief consultant and manager and his wife Nell Braley (Assistant Manager) oversea the operations.
*Tridacna gigas is a threatened species listed by IUCN and CITES.
OUR MISSION
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The role of Aquasearch is to ensure that the antidote for exploited marine species includes the ability of them to be aquacultured.
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Aquasearch offers Aquaculture Consultancies specialising in tropical marine and brackishwater hatcheries and nurseries as well as farm growout. Consultancies may involve design, setup and in-house training of techicians.
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Aquasearch also includes a small public aquarium display featuring corals, anemones and shells of cultured giant clams and cultured anemonefish for the aquarium trade.
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Marine display viewing.
ABOVE: A marine ornamental, the clown anemonefish (Amphiprion percula) for display and breeding at Aquasearch.