i set up my first saltwater aquarium at the age of 12,and that same year my fa-ther,an active scuba diver,helped me get my first dive certification.our family spent several weeks in florida each year,and my freshly acquired div-ing skills helped me observe the jewels of my newfound fascination in their nat-ural surroundings.i was embarking on something that must have given my parents reason to pause for years to come.