We LOOOOVE Mapping Marine Life!

World Database on Protected Marine Areas

As you probably have figured out by now, we LOOOOVE mapping marine life.  That's why today we bring you yet another cool way to use maps when researching aquatic life on earth.  A lot of times, we like what Google Maps Mania digs up. For example, take a close look at World Database on Marine Protected Areas.

Did you know that only 0.7 of the world's oceans are protected? The WDPA-Marine wants to provide the most comprehensive set of marine protected areas (MPAs) data available. Part of this effort involves a very cool Google Maps mashup that provides information about the less that 1% of protected ocean.

The map uses shaded polygons to highlight protected ocean areas. For each protected area it is possible to select a number of layers showing coral, mangrove, seagrass and saltmarsh locations. The map also includes layers to display Wikipedia articles, photographs and videos of the selected protected area.

Do you have a map that you'd like to share with us?  We'd love to hear about it!

Ways to Calculate Pond Volume and Size

 How to Calculate Pond Size

This is the first in a series by South Santee Aquaculture about the various was for calculating the size or volume of a garden pond.

How to Calculate Water Volume

Remember that water volume is calculated much differently based on the shape of the pond.

Oval Pond ------- Length x Width x Depth x 6.7 = Water Volume

Circle Pond ------ Length x Width x Depth x 5.9 = Water Volume


Rectangle Pond -- Length x Width x Depth x 7.5 = Water Volume

So...if the water depth is not the same for the entire pond, estimate the average depth of the water for the pond and use that number for the depth.

Also if you are going to build an oval pond 16 feet long by 11 feet wide by 2 feet deep, the water volume would be:

11 x 16 x 2 x 6.7 = 2358 Gallons

Why is Calculating Pond Size Important?
The calculation of the size and volume of your pond is important to virtually every aspect involved with keeping it well maintained, such as the fish you buy, how to control aquatic life, staying on top of important cleaning tasks and when purchasing fountains or aeration devices.

What about Calculating size of Irregular Shaped Ponds?

Irregular shaped ponds

This one is a little bit trickier and we will go into some advanced methods of calculating odd or irregular shaped ponds in the near future.  However, what I will tell you is Irregular shaped garden ponds are calculated using "squares". This is a bit tedious done manually but with the help of South Santee Aquaculture it can be greatly simplified and the results for your garden ponds volume are very accurate when care is taken.  Contact us with questions about your pond.

The system relies upon this basic formula ...

Pond Volume = Surface Area x Average Depth.

The challenge lies in calculating the surface area accurately which is easy if the shape is a square or round say. But for complex shapes an estimate of area has to be made using the "count the squares" technique.


Related Posts of Interest:
Yearly Pond Maintenance Calendar

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Yearly Pond Maintenance Calendar

Here is a nice way to stay on top of the various maintenance tasks involved with having a healthy garden pond-our yearly pond maintenance calendar!  Add this calendar to your iGoogle or subscribe by email and it will automatically send you an alert to your email on the days that you have new tasks that you should focus on, when keeping a well-managed pond environment.



On our end, we will maintain this calendar as well, adding important notifications and tips for keeping a well maintained pond as they become available. Maintaining a clean, healthy and sustainable pond environment has never been so easy! If you have any questions or concerns, just drop us a line on our website. South Santee Aquaculture is dedicated to promoting safer and heathier solutions for aquatic environments.

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Wanna Learn About Bottom Aerators for Ponds? Sure you do...

There comes a time in every person's life when you wake up one morning and say to yourself, "I need to learn more about bottom aerators!" Well if that day is today, we're gonna make your life easy, by telling you what you need to know about bottom aerators.

What you Should Know about Bottom Aeration
During the summer months, when water is warm, oxygen can be consumed faster than it can be replenished. Lakes can become "stratified"; the warmer, oxygenrich upper water laying on top of the cool, more dense, lower oxygen deeper water.

Such conditions inhibit levels of beneficial bacteria and their breakdown of organics. Bottom muck accumulation increased and excessive nutrients are readily available for plant/algae growth. This thermal stratification also makes conditions favorable for the production of noxious ammonia and hydrogen sulfide gases.

About Vertex Bottom Aeration
Vertex bottom aeration systems create a vertical current using the rising force of millions of small bubbles to entrain the water column, "turning the lake over" and allowing oxygen to be absorbed at the lake's surface. By moving the lower-oxygen water up from the bottom and eliminating thermal stratification, oxygen levels throughout the water column are increased. Wide swings in oxygen are stabilized, preventing fish kills. Our systems are also made to improve sport fisheries by allowing fish to expand their territory into formerly oxygen-deprived portions of the lake.

Now see there...that wasn't so bad, was it? If you appreciate tips such as these, how about subscribe to our RSS feed and we'll keep you updated on the latest in pond management.