WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • SEPTEMBER 2017 9 In each issue of World Aquaculture, we summarize a new and exciting research paper from the relaunched Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. This issue’s selected paper is “First Record of Captive Larval Culture and Metamorphosis of the Pacific Blue Tang, Paracanthurus hepatus,” by Matthew A. DiMaggio, Eric J. Cassiano, Kevin P. Barden, Shane W. Ramee, Cortney L. Ohs, and Craig A. Watson. The global trade in ornamental fish is estimated to exceed US$ 300 million. Although many popular freshwater fish sold as ornamentals are farm-raised, only about 10 percent of marine ornamental fish sold are from aquaculture. The wild capture of large numbers and species of marine fish for the ornamental fish trade raises questions about long-term effects on the coral reef ecosystems targeted for wild capture. The Pacific blue tang – of “Finding Dory” fame – is a popular ornamental fish that is sourced entirely from the wild. Its captive propagation would alleviate pressure on wild stocks, but the lack of successful larval culture methods has hampered its development. The paper in JWAS reports the first record of captive larval culture of the blue tang through metamorphosis, when the first signs of blue pigmentation appear, opening the door for further development of culture methods for this important ornamental fish. Continued breakthroughs of aquaculture research on important marine ornamental species offers a pathway for protection of coral reef systems while providing continued economic opportunities for ornamental fish farmers. The paper can be found in the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 48(3):393-401, available as Open Access at onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ journal/10.1111/jwas.12426, or under Publications at www.was.org. — Carole R. Engle, Executive Editor, JWAS Recent Research Highlight from the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society The Editorial Board of the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society is pleased to announce the Outstanding Reviewers for the 2016 volume (47) of the journal. Congratulations go to Dr. F.C. Thomas Allnutt, BrioBiotech LLC; Dr. Yoram Avnimelech, Israel Institute of Technology; Dr. Igo Guimarães, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Brazil; and Dr. Ian Forster, Fisheries and Oceans, Canada. Dr. Thomas Allnutt: I enjoy reading what researchers are up to around the world and, even when the topic is not specifically what I am doing at the time, the exposure to new work helps to keep me current and inspired in my own research. The chance to improve the articles through careful review and constructive feedback gives me a chance to contribute positively to the aquaculture community. Dr. Yoram Avnimelech: If you get a good research paper to review, you learn a lot. Dr. Igo Guimarães: Although judging the scientific merit is a difficult task due to differences in developmental stage of Announcing the 2016 Outstanding Reviewers for the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society aquaculture among countries, serving as a peer reviewer increases the knowledge beyond our expertise area, challenging us to improve our own research area; thus, making the task worth it. Dr. Ian Forster: Of the many benefits of being a reviewer of scientific literature, two stand out. First is the feeling of participating in the progression of science. Every scientist, whether aspiring or experienced, knows the value of having access to literature that has been peer-reviewed, but the only way this can exist is for people in the field to provide their input as reviewers. Being a reviewer gives me satisfaction in the knowledge that I’m helping to ensure publication of high quality science. A second benefit to me is that by reviewing the work of other researchers, I can gain insights that assist me when thinking about and planning my own research. I’m always delighted when I’m reviewing an article, perhaps one that is not directly in my field and that I probably would not see except as a reviewer, and I read about a technique or statistical procedure that is unknown to me but which could provide valuable new insights or simplify my work. Thomas Allnutt Yoram Avnimelech Igo Guimarães Ian Forster
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