Building a Better Hobby — Together.
Founded in 2005 by five coral aquaculture facilities, Sustainable Reef was born from a shared vision: to promote sustainability, education, and community within the reef-keeping and aquatic hobby.
What started as a grassroots effort has grown into something much bigger. In 2007, we launched our first show—kicking off a 12-year run as the largest aquatic event in North Carolina. By 2019, ReefSMART had evolved to include not just reef keepers, but freshwater hobbyists too, uniting the aquatic world under one roof.
In 2023, we teamed up with another local show to create the first-ever Aquatic Expo. We then hit the road to travel to other local shows—from the high-energy raffles of AquaMania to the kids area at Southern Aquatic Experience.
And now, in 2025, we're back with a show of our own—and a renewed commitment to the values that brought us here.
Our Mission
At Sustainable Reef, our mission is simple:
To connect reef hobbyists with sustainable practices by offering education and access to aquacultured animals through our events and partnerships. We aim to encourage responsible reefkeeping for a healthier ocean.
We believe in making the hobby better—not just bigger.
