There is little that can compare, in terms of adventure and satisfaction, with collecting your own aquatic animals and successfully establishing them in captivity. Opportunities for collecting are, quite correctly, becoming ever more limited as time goes on. However, where legal and environmentally sustainable, collecting your own fish and invertebrates is a fascinating prospect. The subject of collecting is more thoroughly explored in Appendix A.

One way to combine a passion for collecting with important scientific work is to become associated with projects sponsored by professional aquariums or governmental agencies. Funding restrictions on research activities often dictate that such entities must rely on the cooperation of interested volunteers. (Refer to Chapter 1 for more on this topic.)