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About Us : Steve's Biography
Growing up in Northeast England , I always had a love of nature and none more so than what lives in water. My parents once said that, once I'd figured out the TV, I'd turn off cartoons to watch Jacques Cousteau. My grandfather and father introduced me to fly fishing and I think it all grew from there.
I started my first marine aquarium way back in the late 1970's … pretty much the stone-age compared to where the hobby is today. Back then it was all about under gravel filters and some hardy fish. I can't claim that aquarium was very successful. Before I knew it, my hobby was put on hold while I was off to college. After a degree in chemistry and a Ph.D. in analytical biochemistry I was traveling the world in a technical sales job. This meant opportunities to visit warmer climates and to take up my dream sport… scuba diving. I now have dive trips to Malta , Belize , Red Sea, Virgin Islands, Honduras , Florida and Australia under my weight belt.
In 1995 I immigrated to the USA to work for a then small start-up biotech company in Ithaca , New York ( www.advion.com ). I'm still there now and it's grown a lot. Once in the States and settled down, my passion for the marine aquarium hobby was renewed. I also met my beautiful wife-to-be, Kathy and in 2002 we were married then honeymooned in Fiji …. and yes, that trip can also go on the dive list. 2002 was also the formal start of Reef Encounters, still a story in the making right now.
I believe that we preserve and look after what we love. Marine aquarium keeping can be a wonderful education and Reef Encounters sets out to promote successful and responsible reef keeping that does not threaten the wild reefs. I've seen bleached reefs first hand and I'm concerned healthy reefs may not be there for our children. I've also seen some signs of hope with rebounding reefs in Fiji . I can only believe that a mutual and vested interest in preserving reefs can help avoid disastrous loss of a precious resource we are only starting to respect and discover. You will see a strong emphasis on captive raised and cultured corals, fish and invertebrates at Reef Encounters. I also believe that sustainable harvest of appropriate fish and corals from the wild is important to support the livelihood of those who live on the shores of the tropical reefs.
Happy reefing,
Steve Lowes, Ph.D.
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