The Florida Marine Aquarium Society (FMAS) is a non-profit organization founded in 1955 and devoted to education, conservation, and increasing public awareness of the vast resources and delicate nature of the ocean realm through the keeping of marine aquariums and the cultivation of marine animals. FMAS began as a small group of hobbyists in love with saltwater fish and it is now the oldest and currently one of the largest Marine Aquarium Societies in existence. Through the years, FMAS has developed into an organization with an elected Board of Directors and a membership numbering well over 300.

A little trivia on club history:
Founded 1955 by Robert Straughan. The very first meeting was held on August 1 and marked a milestone in Aquarium Societies. It was noted at the time in Aquarium Magazine by a Mr. William T. Innes as being the nation’s first Marine Aquarium Society. This first meeting was held at Mr. Straughan’s home and was attended by 4 people. Sometime during that first year, new members expressed a desire to show their tanks, and the response was tremendous. The outcome? “The First Annual Show of the Greater Florida Marine Aquarium Society”. First show book dated October 7, 1956.

The first FMAS newsletter was published in June, 1957 and was titled “Under the Surface”