Each year, millions of fish are collected from reefs to place on exhibit in homes and public aquariums. It was only recently that New England Aquarium staff members have figured out a way to collect data on the numbers and species of fish involved in the marine wildlife trade.

Dr.  Michael Tlusty, the New England  Aquarium’s Director of Ocean Sustainability Science, Dr. Andrew Rhyne, a New England Aquarium Research Scientist and an Assistant Professor at Roger Williams University, and blogger Ret Talbot, Host of the Fisheriescentric blog, www.GoodCatchBlog.com will talk about the diversity of this marine trade and how the volume of the trade is calculated. They will discuss how data can better inform the management of the marine species and why these fisheries are important to small reef-side economies. They will also describe the role of aquaculture as an aid to this trade and how the Aquarium is leading the effort to use public aquariums as a new source of fish for exhibits.

The free lecture takes place Thursday, June 16 at 7 p.m.

WHERE: New England Aquarium’s Simons IMAX Theatre, Central Wharf, Boston