The Marine Aquarium Conference of North America® (or MACNA®) is the oldest marine aquarium conference in North America.
MACNA is a combination of several events.

• It is an educational symposium where people can attend lectures from industry leaders, conservationists, authors, and scientists.

• A trade show, where hobbyists can buy the hottest new corals and see new cutting edge equipment. Attendees can also give their feedback to manufacturers so they can continue to bring us the innovations that continue to advance our industry.

• Lastly, it is a social event where speakers, vendors, and hobbyists come to socialize with one another. It gives all of us an opportunity to put faces with names you might see on a message board, email, or even YouTube.

Every year, a club who is a member of the Marine Aquarium Society of America® (MASNA®) is chosen to host MACNA. Bidding for MACNA is done the same way as the Olympics. Interested clubs submit a plan to MASNA telling them why they should be chosen as a host. The entire event is organized and operated by volunteers who are simply trying to help out their local club.

MACNA 2017

Bayou Reefkeeping (BRK) is elated to announce that MACNA® 2017 will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, August 25th – 27th, 2017 at the Ernest M. Morial Convention Center and Hilton Riverside Hotel. MACNA® 2017 is proudly sponsored by: Aquaforest, Deepwater Distribution, Maxspect International, Central Pets, Coral Vue, Reef Nutrition, eShopps, and more!

Awards

MASNA Aquarist of the Year

Each year at the annual MACNA conference, MASNA presents an award to the person who is considered to have made an outstanding recent contribution to the marine aquarium hobby. This person is selected by marine aquarium hobbyists around the world.

Voting as of 2014

• Before MACNA, current MASNA members can post their nominations on the MASNA website for that year’s Aquarist of the Year. This is a “write-in vote”. From there, each entry will be tallied, and the nominees and their biographies will be presented to the panel of previous recipients for the selection of that year’s winner of the MASNA Aquarist of the Year award.

MASNA Student Scholarship Program

The Marine Aquarium Societies of North America’s (MASNA) Student Scholarship program provides funding for undergraduate and graduate college students to pursue their degrees in a marine science discipline.

Applications for the awards are judged based on the applicant’s enrollment in a marine science undergraduate I graduate degree, a G.P.A. of 2.5 or greater, and their proven contributions and demonstrated commitment to the marine aquarium hobby. Funding for the MASNA Student Scholarships are provided by corporate industry sponsors, private sponsors, and MASNA.

The History of MACNA!

Twenty eight years and going strong! If you do not see your local club listed here, talk to your fellow members and do something about it!

MACNA Links

• MACNA Website.
• MACNA Facebook page.
• MACNA 2017 Facebook event.
• MACNA Twitter profile.
• MACNA 2014 Presentations
• MACNA 2016 Presentations

The Early MACNA’s

Tom McCarthy of the Cleveland Saltwater Enthusiasts’ Association (C-SEA) made a phone call to Scott Dyer of the Marine Aquarium Society of Toronto (MAST). The idea presented was to organize a joint event featuring a prominent speaker to be attended by both societies’ memberships. Scott replied to Tom that he had been thinking along the same lines and it was from this simple start that the idea of a weekend conference was born. MAST agreed to host the first Marine Aquarium Conference of North America (MACNA) and C-SEA agreed to reciprocate the following year.

MACNA I (1989)

MACNA II (1990)

MACNA III (1991)

MACNA IV (1992)

MACNA V (1993)

MACNA VI (1994)

MACNA VII (1995)

Notable products showcased at MACNA

• MACNA 2005: Ecotech Marine VorTech prototype
• MACNA 2008: Ecotech Marine VorTech MP40
• MACNA 2011: Ecotech Marine VorTech MP60
• MACNA 2012: BuildMyLED
• MACNA 2013: Ecotech Reef Link
• MACNA 2013: Apex Fusion
• MACNA 2014: MaxSpect Gyre Pump
• MACNA 2015: Ecotech Vectra M1 D.C. pump
• MACNA 2015: Smart ATO Micro
• MACNA 2015: MindStream
• MACNA 2016: Alkalinity Monitor

External Links

Third Party Reviews

• Reef Builders: 11 Reasons to go to a MACNA conference
• Melev’s Reef: What is MACNA? Why should you attend?
• MACNA 1989: MAST’S History
• MACNA 1992: Dave Sheehy’s MACNA 1992 Review
• MACNA 1993: MAST’s History
• MACNA 1994: Announcement of MACNA VI
• MACNA 2000: Terry Siegel’s review of MACNA XII 2000
• MACNA 2000: Petcha.com’s review of MACNA XII 2000
• MACNA 2002: Kevin Kuykendall’s MACNA Mania
• MACNA 2003: Melev’s Review
• MACNA 2005: Fishfreek’s aquariumadvice Review
• MACNA 2005: Melev’s photos / review of speakers
• MACNA 2010: MACNA XXII – Matt Pedersen’s Story
• MACNA 2010: Gary Parr’s MACNA 2010 review
• MACNA 2015: Melev’s MACNA 2015 recap

Third Party Pictures

• MACNA 1989: Poster of the first MACNA
• MACNA 1998: Aquarium Design’s photos.
• MACNA 1999: Tim O’Dear’s photos
• MACNA 2003: Melev’s photos
• MACNA 2004: Ewan’s Reef Central photos
• MACNA 2005: Melev’s photos
• MACNA 2006: Rendos’ Reef Central photos
• MACNA 2006: MASNA Booth
• MACNA 2007: Melev’s photos.
• MACNA 2007: Walt’s MACNA 2007 Banquet Video.
• MACNA 2008: Victor90’s ReefCentral photos.
• MACNA 2012: Melev’s photos.
• MACNA 2014: Matt Rogers’ 3Reef photos.