The Biota Group x Waikiki Aquarium Partnership

The Biota Group x Waikiki Aquarium Partnership

At The Biota Group, our mission has always been simple yet ambitious - aquaculture that gives back to the ocean and takes nothing from it. By providing aquacultured alternatives to wild caught marine animals for home and public aquariums, we can reduce pressures on wild populations. One of the most exciting ways we are advancing this mission is through our partnership with Waikiki Aquarium, a collaboration that can serve as a template for public aquariums around the world.

This partnership demonstrates how public aquariums and commercial aquaculture facilities can work together to expand species availability, advance research and aquaculture technology, and inspire a deeper connection between people and the ocean.

How the Partnership Works

Waikiki Aquarium maintains a diverse collection of marine fishes that regularly spawn in the aquariums. Instead of those eggs being lost to filtration systems, a portion of them are carefully collected by the aquarium’s expert staff. Those eggs are then sent to our Biota Hawaii facility, where our aquaculturists use cutting-edge larval rearing and grow out technology to hatch, raise, and condition the fish. Once they reach an appropriate size and are feeding on easy to use prepared foods like Easy Reefs foods, these animals can enter the aquarium trade as fully captive bred specimens.

This approach allows us to responsibly offer species that would otherwise be difficult or impractical to maintain as on-site broodstock, all without expanding our adult breeding populations or collecting fish from the wild. Fertile eggs that would normally be wasted become aquarium pets or public aquarium additions in the hands of our expert aquaculturists.

Expanding Species Without Wild Impact

One of the biggest challenges in marine aquaculture is the time, space, and resources required to maintain large broodstock populations. By partnering with institutions like Waikiki Aquarium, we can increase the diversity of species available to aquarists while keeping our environmental footprint small.

Every fish produced through this program means one less animal taken from natural reefs. Over time, this approach reduces collection pressure and helps show that beautiful, healthy aquarium fish do not need to come from the wild, and that aquacultured fish now offer enough diversity for hobbyists to have the option of fully aquacultured reef tanks with no wild specimens.

Why Public Aquariums Matter

"In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught." (Baba Dioum, 1968.)

Both The Biota Group and Waikiki Aquarium share a deep belief in the importance of public aquariums. For many people, an aquarium visit is their first meaningful encounter with coral reefs, reef fishes, and complex marine ecosystems.

Aquariums allow visitors to experience animals, biotopes, and underwater environments most people never get to see in nature. These immersive experiences spark curiosity, empathy, and appreciation for marine life. When people fall in love with the ocean, they are more likely to want to protect it.

That emotional connection to the environment extends beyond aquarium walls. It encourages more thoughtful consumption, less waste, and a greater awareness of how individual actions impact the planet.

Education, Conservation, and Aquaculture Working Together

Waikiki Aquarium has a long standing commitment to education, research, and conservation. By integrating aquaculture into that framework, this partnership creates a powerful feedback loop.

• Aquarium visitors learn about captive breeding and sustainability.
• We gain access to naturally spawning, well conditioned animals at the public aquarium.
• The ability to work with a greater diversity of species improves aquaculture research and technology.
• Wild reefs benefit from reduced collection pressure.

This is not just a supply chain solution, it is a shared conservation strategy.

A Template for the Future

We view this collaboration as a blueprint for what is possible when public aquariums and responsible aquaculture facilities align around shared values. There are aquariums across the world housing spawning fish that could contribute to captive breeding programs, species diversification, and long term sustainability.

Our goal is to encourage other public aquariums to see this model, understand its benefits, and explore similar partnerships. Together, we can expand what is possible in marine aquaculture while protecting the ecosystems that inspire all of us.

Looking Ahead

The partnership between The Biota Group and Waikiki Aquarium is just the beginning. We hope this partnership becomes a widely adopted strategy that supports education, conservation, aquaculture technology, and a thriving, sustainable aquarium hobby. When institutions work together with intention and transparency, everyone benefits, including the ocean.

If you are a public aquarium interested in exploring a partnership like this, please feel free to reach out to us!