The SMMAS School program is now in full swing with a very nice 75 gallon reef display at the Little Flower School in Great Mills. Classes are being taught to the 4th and 6th graders every week about the dangers our coral reefs face today and how we can save a reef by growing our own. They are starting off with the quick and easy to grow coral xenia, and seem to enjoy every aspect of marine husbandry. We have discussed virtually all aspects of starting and maintaining a saltwater aquarium, with the students actually doing the work themselves. We expect that by the end of the school year they will be able to propagate their own corals and perhaps sell them to help offset the cost of maintaining their reef aquarium.

There are other schools that have expressed an interest of starting a program in their school similar to the one we have now in Little Flower. Leonardtown High School is interested in an after school Reef Club which Shaun Elliot is heading up and Mark Powell has offered to help. King’s Christian Academy is interested as well St. Peters in Waldorf. We need at least 2 volunteers for each school to make this happen, if you are interested in helping and becoming involved in this program let Mike Howell know and he will be happy to get you going. We have a 58 gallon tank and stand ready for the next school project, and believe it or not, it is a lot of fun working with these kids.

Our first community project, the 75 gallon reef display at the Lexington Park Library has been a big success. The tank is flat out beautiful with compliments from library patrons as well as the staff. The library has set up a donation fund to help pay for the cost of maintaining the tank with SMMAS volunteers taking turns each week performing the necessary task of keeping it in such great shape. A special thanks to SMMAS members Jerome Burgess, Chris Coons, Mike Howell, Ken Jordan, Rob MacLaren, Frankie Riffle, and Tony Wolfe for their time and effort.

If you would like to help out on any of these projects please contact Mike Howell either by email or PM in the forum section.

One of this club’s better sponsors, Jeff Knight, owner of Reef Chief in Virginia Beach recently moved from his jam packed garage operation into his first real storefront with 3200 square feet of operating room. Jeff invited SMMAS down to see his new place last year by hosting an open house with Anthony Calfo as the guest speaker and enough food to feed an army. Since then Jeff has been hard at work transforming a once empty warehouse into a very full reef store that rivals the best in the country. SP Aquatics, owned by Sean Hawkins, shares a portion of the building with Jeff and has built 6 of the most awesome acrylic display tanks that show off most of Jeff’s corals. Two 600 gallon and four 400 gallon acrylic tanks surround you in a double horse shoe fashion that makes it easy to find the coral you are looking for with most in a price range lay out. From $10 frags to $500 basketball size show pieces, he has coral that will fit any pocket book.

The store has over 4000 gallons of saltwater, housing an average of 500 frags, 1000 corals, and 300 to 400 fish. The selection is outstanding and is easily one of the finest Marine Aquarium stores in the United States.

Jeff is offering SMMAS club members 20% off of live stock after the TRS Reef Symposium April 26, and is planning on bringing even more into the store by then to increase our selection. Be sure not to pass this event up, the selection is awesome to start with.

Jeff has been an active sponsor of this club for a few years now and we are proud of what he has accomplished since we have known him. From donating the top prize of a $200 Gift Certificate for our fundraising raffle, being a vendor at the SMMAS Reef Symposium, and offering advice and discounts to club members, Jeff is any clubs best asset that is lucky enough to count him as a sponsor. Thanks Jeff!