tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/aquarium-13474/articles
Aquarium – The Conversation
2023-06-25T13:35:02Z
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/206280
2023-06-25T13:35:02Z
2023-06-25T13:35:02Z
Zoos and universities must work together to safeguard wildlife and improve conservation
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532140/original/file-20230615-29-koig6o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=27%2C19%2C2363%2C1545&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A conservation researcher counts ringtailed lemurs for a zoo's annual stock take. Zoos have the capacity to do more for conservation science and practice.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Jon Super).</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The word “zoo” is complicated and can have different meanings to different people. For some, a zoo is an organization committed to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/18/zoos-play-a-vital-role-in-animal-conservation-across-the-world">animal well-being and wildlife conservation</a> that offers its visitors a fun and educational experience. To others, it is a place where people pay to see <a href="https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/how-to-help-animals/params/post/1280916/whats-wrong-with-zoos">exotic animals in poor conditions</a>. </p>
<p>Zoos — a shortening of zoological gardens — can refer to both zoos and aquariums. Zoos accredited by bodies such as <a href="https://www.aza.org/">the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)</a> and <a href="https://www.eaza.net/">the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria</a> make <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-27806-2">important contributions</a> to conservation and the recovery of endangered species.</p>
<p>With more than 700 million visitors receiving conservation education globally and more than US$350 million spent on wildlife conservation, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.20369">zoos are the third largest contributors to conservation initiatives after The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund</a>. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, many zoos have the capacity to do more for conservation science and practice. We see this potential in the groundbreaking work of zoos with global reach including <a href="https://www.chesterzoo.org/what-we-do/">Chester Zoo</a>, <a href="https://www.zoo.org.au/fighting-extinction/">Zoos Victoria</a> and the <a href="https://sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org/">San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance</a>. </p>
<h2>The modern zoo</h2>
<p>Zoos continue to renegotiate their social contract with the public as societal values change. Today, the modern zoo must focus not only on the well-being of its animals, but also emphasize its impact on conservation. </p>
<p>In Canada, the Calgary Zoo has established the <a href="https://wilderinstitute.org/">Wilder Institute</a> with a vision to become “Canada’s leader in wildlife conservation.” The <a href="https://www.torontozoo.com/">Toronto Zoo</a> has a mission of “Connecting people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction.” </p>
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<p>These, and other <a href="https://espacepourlavie.ca/projets-de-conservation-du-biodome">examples, highlight the continued shift toward investing in conservation science</a> by zoos in Canada, with an increased focus on collaborative research.</p>
<h2>How do zoos produce research in conservation science?</h2>
<p>While many zoos have dedicated staff for conservation projects, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.20215">collaboration with universities</a> can help zoos increase their contribution to conservation science. </p>
<p>Historically, in Canada and other countries, most published research from zoos is related to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2019-0052">veterinary sciences</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2017-0083">not conservation</a>. Academic institutions can provide scientific and technical expertise in conservation science, as well as access to envelopes of funding that are not available to zoos alone. </p>
<p>University researchers have rigorous science communication requirements that include not only publication in <a href="https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/BES-Peer-Review-Guide-2017_web.pdf">peer-reviewed journals</a>, but conference presentations, lectures and more. When zoos collaborate with universities, they have greater access to funding for conservation research and produce accessible research for conservation practitioners, researchers and the public alike. </p>
<p>At universities, graduate students as well as post-doctoral researchers perform the majority of research, supervised by a professor in a mentor-mentee relationship. Collaborating with graduate students and their mentors can help zoos address any ongoing conservation challenges. </p>
<h2>ReNewZoo as a model</h2>
<p>In 2016, our team of ten academics and zoo practitioners received funding from the <a href="https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/index_eng.asp">Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)</a> to launch <a href="https://www.renewzoo.ca/">ReNewZoo</a>, a training program for graduate students in zoo conservation science. </p>
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<p>We involved six universities and five zoos from across Canada, providing training and internships for Master’s and PhD students as well as post-doctoral researchers. The goal of the program was to integrate graduate students and their research into Canadian and international zoos, bridging the gap with universities. </p>
<p>As part of this program, graduate students conducted their thesis projects in collaboration with zoos and had zoo staff on their advisory committees. </p>
<p>We integrated our annual symposium with the annual meeting of <a href="https://caza.ca/">Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums</a> where students presented their work to potential future employers and listened to experts speak about issues in zoo conservation science and the business of zoos. Our students then interned with zoos for a first-hand look at the daily operations of a zoo. </p>
<p>Finally, we had an online course where academics and practitioners met with our students to discuss the important issues facing zoo conservation. The students learned about the science of zoo conservation, as well as the history and ethics of zoos and their role in conservation.</p>
<h2>A success story</h2>
<p>But did it work? ReNewZoo supported 26 early career researchers working with zoos including the Toronto Zoo, Calgary Zoo, Vancouver Aquarium, the Insectarium de Montréal and the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg. </p>
<p>And these student researchers have already made many discoveries that can inform conservation practice. </p>
<p>In one such project involving the breeding and reintroduction of the endangered redside dace — a small, colourful stream fish — within Ontario’s Great Lakes region, Andy Turko, a ReNewZoo postdoctoral fellow, found that the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2020-0377">thermal (temperature) tolerance of the fish’s source populations</a> is critical to the success of the reintroduction process.</p>
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<p>Another ReNewZoo student, Damien Mullin, in collaboration with the Toronto Zoo, proved that headstarting — a breeding-centric conservation strategy where hatchlings are kept in captivity for a period of time before reintroduction — <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22390">improves survival in the endangered wood turtle</a>. </p>
<p>He, however, also found that keeping juvenile wood turtles in captivity for longer than a year did not improve survival much more. Zoos can now use this information to optimize their conservation strategies. </p>
<p>While Turko and Mullin made discoveries that can boost the success rate of reintroduced endangered species, ReNewZoo student Léa Fieschi-Méric found a way to successfully move endangered amphibians.</p>
<p>The skin of amphibians houses a community of bacteria that helps resist pathogens. Moving these species to support their recovery in the wild through the process of <a href="https://thewilderinstitute.org/conservation/conservation-translocations/#:%7E:text=">conservation translocation </a> can disrupt these communities of bacteria.</p>
<p>By successfully moving yellow-spotted salamander larvae from one lake to another in an experiment, Fieschi-Méric found that translocation <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16914">does not disrupt the community of bacteria living on the skin</a>.</p>
<p>The resulting peer-reviewed publications from these and other students are now available for academics and, most importantly, conservation practitioners to use and learn from. </p>
<h2>Bringing zoos and universities together</h2>
<p>Bringing zoos and universities together takes time, energy and money. But the benefits for conservation are far-reaching. We suggest a three-pronged approach to bridge these two types of institutions.</p>
<p>The foundation of any relationship is trust. Fostering connections between the people working at zoos and universities by conducting joint events, with invited speakers from each institution is a good way to start building the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/icb/article-abstract/62/5/1174/6623667?login=true">level of trust that will lead to productive collaborations</a>. </p>
<p>Graduate students are the bridge between zoos and universities. Funding graduate students and their stipends to work with zoos serves two purposes. First, the graduate students perform the actual research. Second, they serve as a source for new staff at the zoo, particularly related to roles in conservation. </p>
<p>Finally, formalizing the connections between zoos and universities with collaborative agreements, joint research appointments and even shared facilities will promote the sustainability of these relationships. </p>
<p>Collectively, these measures will enhance the conservation impact of zoos and universities and improve the chances that endangered species will survive.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206280/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Albrecht Schulte-Hostedde receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Lesbarrères receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). He works as a research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gabriela Mastromonaco receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Trevor Pitcher receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).</span></em></p>
Zoos have the potential to do more for growing conservation science and practice.
Albrecht Schulte-Hostedde, Professor, Applied Evolutionary Ecology, Laurentian University
David Lesbarrères, Adjunct Professor, Department of Biology, Laurentian University
Gabriela Mastromonaco, Adjunct Professor, Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph
Trevor Pitcher, Professor, Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/185280
2022-09-05T12:21:46Z
2022-09-05T12:21:46Z
Sleeping fish? From sharks to salmon, guppies to groupers, here’s how they grab a snooze
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476388/original/file-20220727-1332-1i5lq6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C5181%2C3423&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A large group of yellowfin tuna swimming off the coast of Italy. Like all fish, they sleep, but it's not like human sleep.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/tuna-school-royalty-free-image/607337981">Giordano Cipriani/The Image Bank via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">curiouskidsus@theconversation.com</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Could you explain how fish sleep? Do they drift away on currents, or do they anchor themselves to a particular location when they sleep? – Laure and Neeraj, New York</strong> </p>
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<hr>
<p>From the goldfish in your aquarium to a bass in a lake to the sharks in the sea – <a href="https://web.uri.edu/gso/news/learning-from-fish-to-spark-innovation-in-ocean-exploration/">35,000 species of fish are alive today</a>, more than 3 trillion of them. </p>
<p>All over the world, they swim in hot springs, rivers, ponds and puddles. They glide through freshwater and saltwater. They survive in the shallows and in the darkest depths of the ocean, more than five miles down.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476397/original/file-20220727-1345-clf6b9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="With its unusual look -- a pancake with wings -- a stingray swims in the ocean." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476397/original/file-20220727-1345-clf6b9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476397/original/file-20220727-1345-clf6b9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476397/original/file-20220727-1345-clf6b9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476397/original/file-20220727-1345-clf6b9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476397/original/file-20220727-1345-clf6b9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476397/original/file-20220727-1345-clf6b9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476397/original/file-20220727-1345-clf6b9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Stingrays are a type of fish too, but they are boneless.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/close-up-of-stingray-swimming-in-sea-royalty-free-image/1283034201?adppopup=true">Xiáng Zhèng/EyeEm via Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>Just like you, fish need to sleep</h2>
<p>Of those trillions of fish, three major types exist: <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-a-bony-fish-2291874#:%7E:text=In%20simple%20terms%2C%20a%20bony,as%20Agnatha%2C%20or%20jawless%20fish.">bony fish</a>, like trout and sardines; jawless fish, like the slimy <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/14-fun-facts-about-hagfish-77165589/">hagfish</a>; and <a href="https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/sharks-rays">sharks and rays</a>, which are boneless – instead, they have skeletons made of <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-humans-have-bones-instead-of-cartilage-like-sharks-170526">firm yet flexible tissue called cartilage</a>.</p>
<p>And all of them, every last one, needs to rest. Whether you’re a human or a haddock, sleep is essential. It gives a body time to repair itself, and a brain a chance to reset and declutter. </p>
<p><a href="https://case.fiu.edu/about/directory/profiles/heithaus-michael.html">As a marine biologist</a>, I’ve always wondered how fish can rest. After all, in any body of water, predators are all over the place, lurking around, ready to eat them. But somehow they manage, like <a href="https://askabiologist.asu.edu/plosable/who-needs-sleep-anyway">virtually all creatures on Earth</a>. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">See the mysterious spot off the coast of Mexico where sharks take a nap.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How they do it</h2>
<p>Scientists are still learning about how fish sleep. What we do know: Their sleep <a href="https://animals.howstuffworks.com/fish/do-fish-sleep.htm">is not like ours</a>. </p>
<p>For one thing, people are pretty much out of it when they sleep. While a loud noise might wake you up, you’re mostly unaware of your surroundings. But fish stay aware enough to detect an approaching predator – at least most of the time. </p>
<p>It does appear that most fish have sleep cycles like us. Aquarium fish sleep between <a href="https://whypetfish.com/how-many-hours-do-fish-sleep-a-day/">seven to 12 hours each day</a>. Many fish are active <a href="https://www.aqueon.com/articles/fish-sleeping-habits#:%7E:text=Scientists%20believe%20that%20most%20fish,in%20a%20cave%20or%20crevice.">during daylight and sleep at night</a>, though for some, like numerous types of eels, rays and sharks, it’s the reverse. </p>
<p>How can you tell if a fish is asleep? Most fish don’t have eyelids, so their eyes don’t close. That alone makes it hard to tell when they’re resting. </p>
<p>But if you watch fish in an aquarium, look closely. You’ll see how they stop swimming around and remain very still, sort of hovering in the water. Their gills will pump less too. For fish, that’s sleeping. </p>
<h2>Sleeping with the enemy</h2>
<p>Where do fish sleep? Sometimes right out in the open. But often they’re at or near the bottom. If they can, they squeeze in a spot near rocks or plants so predators can’t get them and currents can’t sweep them away. </p>
<p>Some fish go even further. Parrotfish <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/animals-we-protect/parrotfish/">wrap a cocoon of mucus</a> around themselves and sleep in the coral. Sounds like a lot of effort – essentially, making your own sleeping bag every night – but the cocoon protects the parrotfish not just from predators,
but from parasites. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Night security for a parrotfish: a cocoon of mucus.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How sharks sleep</h2>
<p>There are, however, many species of fish that must swim constantly just to breathe. Think about that – stop swimming, and you die. This is true for many sharks, like <a href="https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/great-white-shark">great whites</a>. </p>
<p>So how do they sleep if they’re always on the move? Instead of stopping altogether, sharks simply slow their swimming, or swim into a current. That’s sort of like sleep – at least the sharks seem less aware of what’s going on around them.</p>
<p>There are species of shark, like the draughtsboard shark, that <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sharks-apparently-do-sleep-even-with-their-eyes-wide-open-180979707/">breathe without swimming</a>. Scientists recently observed this shark – which is 3 feet (1 meter) long and has a flat head – sleeping on the bottom. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">A shark taking a nap?</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Whales and dolphins</h2>
<p><a href="https://us.whales.org/whales-dolphins/">Whales and dolphins</a> are not fish – they’re mammals, like cats, dogs and people. They spend their lives in the ocean, but they can’t breathe underwater. Instead, they periodically rise to the surface and take in air through their blowhole, which is on the top of their heads. </p>
<p>If they went into a deep sleep, the way people do, whales and dolphins would drown; they wouldn’t be aware enough to come to the surface to breathe. So they sleep by <a href="https://us.whales.org/whales-dolphins/how-do-dolphins-sleep/#:%7E:text=When%20sleeping%2C%20dolphins%20often%20rest,to%20the%20surface%20to%20breath.">resting one half of their brain at a time</a>. The other half remembers to rise to the surface, breathe and stay just alert enough to spot danger. </p>
<p>Is it possible that some fish might do the same thing? Scientists are trying to find out, but still don’t know. There is so much more to learn about how fish sleep. Marine biologists like me have many questions, and we spend our careers in oceans, rivers, lakes and laboratories trying to find answers. But I’ll leave you with this, something I’ve always wondered about: Do fish dream? </p>
<hr>
<p><em>Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com</a>. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.</em></p>
<p><em>And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185280/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Heithaus does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Just about every creature on Earth needs to grab some Zs from time to time. Imagine trying to doze while dodging great whites and killer whales.
Michael Heithaus, Executive Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education and Professor of Biological Sciences, Florida International University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/185605
2022-06-28T05:13:27Z
2022-06-28T05:13:27Z
Meet 5 remarkably old animals, from a Greenland shark to a featherless, seafaring cockatoo
<p>Some animals can live to a startlingly old age, from the famous 392-year-old “Greenland shark” to a 190-year-old tortoise in the Seychelles. Two science studies published last week brings us closer to understanding why some animal species can live for so long – far longer than humans. </p>
<p>The first, published in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abm0151">Science</a>, debunked a few theories on why amphibians and reptiles (such as tortoises) live long lives. It found most reptiles and amphibians have highly variable rates of ageing and that, perhaps counter-intuitively, being coldblooded is not indicative of a long lifespan. </p>
<p>The only exception is turtles, which may fit the hypothesis of having a “protective phenotype”, where physical or chemical traits such as shells or venom enable a species to live longer.</p>
<p>The second <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.931467/full">study</a>, which I was involved in, discovered the age of the world’s oldest aquarium fish: Granddad the lungfish. </p>
<p>Granddad was sent from Australia to Chicago in 1933 and lived in an aquarium until 2017. Our study measured changes in Granddad’s DNA to calculate his age at death. He was 109 years old. </p>
<p>Finding out how long an animal lives for isn’t easy, especially if they can outlive humans. It is well established that ageing is under genetic control, as the DNA sequence of certain genes can <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-study-shows-an-animals-lifespan-is-written-in-the-dna-for-humans-its-38-years-128623">predict potential lifespan</a>. </p>
<p>However, environmental pressures – such as getting eaten by a predator or succumbing to disease – can cut life off short, and may explain age differences between closely related species, such as between reptiles in the first study.</p>
<p>Here, I introduce you to five remarkably old animals and the fascinating lives they’ve led. </p>
<h2>Granddad the Lungfish</h2>
<p><strong>Age: 109 years</strong></p>
<p><strong>Species: Australian lungfish (<em>Neoceratodus forsteri</em>)</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471316/original/file-20220628-19-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471316/original/file-20220628-19-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471316/original/file-20220628-19-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471316/original/file-20220628-19-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471316/original/file-20220628-19-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471316/original/file-20220628-19-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471316/original/file-20220628-19-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471316/original/file-20220628-19-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Granddad the lungfish, who lived to 109 years old.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">©Shedd Aquarium</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The world’s oldest lived aquarium fish is Granddad, the Australian lungfish. In our <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.931467/full">recent study</a>, we used a DNA-based method to determine that Granddad was 109 years old when he died. </p>
<p>He lived a remarkable life. In 1933, Granddad made the 20-day voyage from Australia to the Chicago World’s Fair in the United States, where more than 100 million people visited him in the John G. Shedd Aquarium.</p>
<p>As its name suggests, Australian lungfish have the unique ability to breathe air from a single lung during dry spells, when streams become stagnant or water quality becomes poor. </p>
<p>The species, now endangered, has a <a href="https://blog.csiro.au/granddad-lungfish/">deeply ancient</a> lineage. Indeed, the Australian Lungfish is the closest living relative to all land-based “tetrapods” – four-limbed animals including frogs, humans, and even dinosaurs.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/breakthrough-allows-scientists-to-determine-the-age-of-endangered-native-fish-using-dna-162084">Breakthrough allows scientists to determine the age of endangered native fish using DNA</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>To find out Granddad’s age, we used a test that looks at “epigenetic” changes in the DNA, which occur from environmental changes and accumulate over a lifetime. </p>
<p>In fact, our study also identified the sub-population in Queensland Granddad came from. We learned Granddad originally came from the Burnett River, one of three rivers in Queensland home to Australian lungfish. </p>
<h2>Cocky Bennett the Cockatoo</h2>
<p><strong>Age: 119 years</strong></p>
<p><strong>Species: sulphur-crested cockatoo (<em>Cacatua galerita</em>)</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471306/original/file-20220628-21-k3n6bj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471306/original/file-20220628-21-k3n6bj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471306/original/file-20220628-21-k3n6bj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=875&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471306/original/file-20220628-21-k3n6bj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=875&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471306/original/file-20220628-21-k3n6bj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=875&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471306/original/file-20220628-21-k3n6bj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1100&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471306/original/file-20220628-21-k3n6bj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1100&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471306/original/file-20220628-21-k3n6bj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1100&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A rare photo of Cocky Bennett, aged 117.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Aussie~mobs/Flickr</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Another long-lived Australian animal was a sulphur-crested cockatoo named Cocky Bennett, who lived to 119. </p>
<p>Cocky lived at the Sea Breeze Hotel in Blakehurst, New South Wales, and even had a tribute written in the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/sydneys-old-crock-of-a-cockie-was-a-legend-at-120-20110831-1jkz2.html">newspaper</a> in 1916 when he died. </p>
<p>According to the tribute, Cocky would often say “one at time gentlemen, please” when other birds harassed him, and “one feather more and I’ll fly”. But due to a disease, Cocky was almost featherless for the last two decades of his exceptionally long life, and had a long, curved and twisted beak.</p>
<p>Prior to ruling the Sea Breeze Hotel, Cocky Bennett <a href="https://timegents.com/2016/05/22/the-pubs-of-cocky-bennett/">is thought to have</a> accompanied a ship captain on his seafaring journeys for 78 years, and reportedly circled the globe seven times. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-disturb-the-cockatoos-on-your-lawn-theyre-probably-doing-all-your-weeding-for-free-154265">Don't disturb the cockatoos on your lawn, they're probably doing all your weeding for free</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The <a href="https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Cacatua_galerita">Animal Ageing and Longevity Database</a> report a much shorter lifespan for sulphur-crested cockatoos in the wild at 57 years. But in captivity, they can live as long as humans. </p>
<p>This is where researchers need to be careful, as lifespans are often longer for animals in captivity than would naturally occur in the wild.</p>
<h2>Jonathan the Tortoise</h2>
<p><strong>Age: 190 years</strong></p>
<p><strong>Species: Seychelles giant tortoise (<em>Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa</em>)</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/01/31/oldest-animal-tortoise-jonathan-/">Jonathan the Seychelles giant tortoise</a>, at 190, currently holds the record for the oldest living land animal.</p>
<p>It’s estimated he hatched in 1832 in the Seychelles Islands. When he was around 50 years old, Jonathan was transported to St Helena, a remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean, and gifted to the <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/at-190-jonathan-the-tortoise-is-the-worlds-oldest-living-land-animal-180979514/">St Helena governor</a>. Jonathan has not only outlived the governor, but has seen 31 different governors hold office. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471314/original/file-20220628-19-a5h0em.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471314/original/file-20220628-19-a5h0em.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471314/original/file-20220628-19-a5h0em.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471314/original/file-20220628-19-a5h0em.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471314/original/file-20220628-19-a5h0em.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471314/original/file-20220628-19-a5h0em.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471314/original/file-20220628-19-a5h0em.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471314/original/file-20220628-19-a5h0em.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Photograph of St Helena resident tortoise Jonathan (left) around 1900.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As the new study on reptiles and amphibians hypothesised, tortoises may be long-lived due to their extra protection from their shells. A lack of predators may also play an important role. For example, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07630-4#:%7E:text=Lonesome%20George%2C%20the%20last%20member,Nature%20Ecol.">Galapagos giant tortoises</a> can live to over 100 and are free from any natural predators. </p>
<h2>The Greenland Shark</h2>
<p><strong>Age: 392 years</strong></p>
<p><strong>Species: Greenland shark (<em>Somniosus microcephalus</em>)</strong></p>
<p>The species, the Greenland shark, is thought to be the longest-lived animal with a backbone. We know only little about Greenland sharks. But a <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.aaf1703">2016 study</a> used radiocarbon dating and found one to be 392 years old. </p>
<p>The authors also estimated that Greenland sharks don’t reach sexual maturity until 156 years old.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/caught-on-camera-ancient-greenland-sharks-90584">Caught on camera: Ancient Greenland sharks</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Living deep in the cold waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans, these iconic sharks are also one of the slowest growing, at a rate of around 1 centimetre per year. Yet, these ocean giants can reach over 5 metres in length. </p>
<p>We know only little about Greenland sharks, including how long they can live for. It’s thought freezing polar waters may play a role in their longevity as it may slow down their metabolism.</p>
<h2>Ming the Clam</h2>
<p><strong>Age: 507 years</strong></p>
<p><strong>Species: ocean quahog (<em>Arctica islandica</em>)</strong></p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471312/original/file-20220628-23-bdwugp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471312/original/file-20220628-23-bdwugp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471312/original/file-20220628-23-bdwugp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471312/original/file-20220628-23-bdwugp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471312/original/file-20220628-23-bdwugp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471312/original/file-20220628-23-bdwugp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=652&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471312/original/file-20220628-23-bdwugp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=652&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471312/original/file-20220628-23-bdwugp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=652&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The left valve of Ming the clam.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ming_clam_shell_WG061294R.jpg">Wikimedia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The ocean quahog is the world’s longest-lived species, with many reaching over 400 years. As a clam (or marine bivalve mollusk), it’s the only invertebrate on our list. Just like the Greenland shark, this species also lives in the cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. </p>
<p>One ocean quahog called “Ming” lived for 507 years. He was named after the Chinese dynasty in power when he was born in 1499, and was discovered off the coast of Iceland. His age was confirmed by counting growth bands on its shell, in the same way you’d count the rings of a tree. </p>
<p>Little is known to why ocean quahogs live for so long but, similar to the Greenland shark, it’s thought the colder waters may have a role in its long lifespan. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/meet-5-of-australias-tiniest-mammals-who-tread-a-tightrope-between-life-and-death-every-night-159239">Meet 5 of Australia’s tiniest mammals, who tread a tightrope between life and death every night</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185605/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The CSIRO paper this article features was published in Frontiers in Environmental Science with authors from CSIRO, Queensland State Government, and Seqwater.</span></em></p>
Two new studies reveal fascinating new information about why some animals are able to live so long. Let me introduce you to five animals who lived over a century, and their remarkable lives.
Benjamin Mayne, Molecular biologist and bioinformatician, CSIRO
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/158761
2021-04-13T03:38:52Z
2021-04-13T03:38:52Z
Not wiped out. Even after the collapse of Greensill, there’s time to save Whyalla
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/394372/original/file-20210411-15-egnxi7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=754%2C281%2C3155%2C1676&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tudoran Andrei/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Wiping off Whyalla has become something of a macabre sport.</p>
<p>All manner of things have been said to be about to destroy the steelworks town, including (<a href="https://www.senatorbirmingham.com.au/abbott-birmingham-doorstop-onesteel-whyalla-carbon-tax/">briefly</a>) the 2012-2014 carbon price. </p>
<p>BHP abandoned the steelworks, the harbour and the nearly Middleback Range iron ore mine in 2000 floating it off as a separate company it called <a href="https://www.delisted.com.au/company/onesteel-limited/">OneSteel</a>.</p>
<p>Renamed Arrium, the company collapsed in 2016, in circumstances that are still being <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/manufacturing/the-battle-over-arrium-s-demise-kicks-off-20210212-p571xr">fought out in court</a>.</p>
<p>Bought in July 2017 by Dubai-based British industrialist Sanjeev Gupta, the steelworks enjoyed a revival until this month, with an exclusive contract to supply steel for the planned <a href="https://inlandrail.artc.com.au/31-million-innovative-steel-contract-delivers-for-inland-rail/">eastern inland rail line</a> and plans to make 100% “green steel” from <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/gupta-flags-3000mw-new-renewables-for-whyalla-green-steel-plans-73992/">renewable energy sources</a>.</p>
<p>Two of Gupta’s companies, including OneSteel Manufacturing which runs Whyalla’s steelworks, were hit with <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-07/uncertainty-but-also-hope-in-whyalla-with-gfg-alliance/100051814">windup applications</a> last week, following the collapse of their major financier Greensill Capital.</p>
<hr>
<hr>
<p>The withdrawal of finance has once more thrown into doubt the future of South Australia’s fourth-biggest town and its 22,0000 residents, including the 1,800 directly employed in the steelworks and the thousands more who depend on it.</p>
<p>Also in jeopardy is a planned A$600 million upgrade to the steelworks along with a related A$350 million investment in the nearby Cultana Solar Farm that was estimated to create 350 jobs in the construction phase and 10 to 15 ongoing jobs.</p>
<p>Gupta says he has been working tirelessly to secure refinancing for the $US5 billion he owes Greensill, and in an <a href="https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/sanjeev-guptas-letter-to-south-australia-about-whyalla-steelworks/news-story/cafad24f698af3de366543e87eff796f">open letter</a> has described Whyalla as his “spiritual home”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/looking-good-why-whyalla-of-all-places-has-a-sustainable-future-108506">Looking good. Why Whyalla, of all places, has a sustainable future</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The Morrison Government is said to be considering a “<a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/canberra-mulls-whyalla-steelworks-rescue-plan-if-sanjeev-gupta-falls/news-story/c998b94c7e55ca0677a11ff0e5279c74">back-up plan</a>” (presumably some form of bridging finance). The South Australian government is offering <a href="https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/state-treasurer-rob-lucas-says-his-government-wants-more-details-before-releasing-50m-for-whyalla-steelworks-redevelopment/news-story/70d7ac23482446048a24d30772f7c1cf">A$50 million</a> on the condition it is not used to pay down debt.</p>
<p>The steelworks appears to be profitable following a turnaround in the past 18 months. The contract for the inland rail project is worth $10 billion.</p>
<p>The impact of COVID-19 on demand for steel has been a negative, but at the same time the pandemic has shone light on Australia’s weak supply chains and stimulated rethinking about the need for local manufacturing using local steel.</p>
<h2>Steel won’t be enough to save Whyalla</h2>
<p>But steel can’t be the only key to Whyalla’s future. That locals are still talking as if it could be, reflects a deep-seated inertia. </p>
<p>Unlike the larger steel cities of Newcastle, Port Kembla and Wollongong, Whyalla has been very slow to respond to the need for change.</p>
<p>Fortunately, the opportunity remains open. Whyalla has open space, 300 days of sunshine well suited to solar energy (potentially lowering costs for new and existing businesses) and a new A$100 secondary school situated between a university campus and a TAFE Technical Institute.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/394433/original/file-20210412-19-rogf5e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/394433/original/file-20210412-19-rogf5e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=970&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394433/original/file-20210412-19-rogf5e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=970&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394433/original/file-20210412-19-rogf5e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=970&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394433/original/file-20210412-19-rogf5e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1218&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394433/original/file-20210412-19-rogf5e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1218&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/394433/original/file-20210412-19-rogf5e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1218&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Gateway to the Eyre Peninsula</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Whyalla already has a regional health precinct along with plans for a A$45 million foreshore hotel; a A$12 million airport upgrade, a A$6 million organic recycling project and a A$145 million state-of-the-art solar-powered <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/whyalla-goes-greener-with-145m-solar-greenhouse-as-gupta-effect-grows-93958/">greenhouse business</a>.</p>
<p>And it will benefit from a new A$300 million investment in Eyre Peninsula’s electricity grid and its proximity to mining developments and port facilities. </p>
<p>Local contractors are potential suppliers to the new A$80 million desalination plant to be located near Port Lincoln and a planned <a href="https://www.aumanufacturing.com.au/south-australia-to-get-two-new-space-launch-sites">rocket launching facility</a> at Whalers Bay near Port Lincoln which will allow access to polar earth orbits.</p>
<p>And it’s the “gateway to the Eyre Peninsula”, a region with world-class tourism potential.</p>
<p>No-one disputes that Whyalla is heavily dependent on the fortunes of the steelworks, but over the past decade it has shown little interest in diversifying.</p>
<p>Its council appears to lack the skills and leadership needed to transform the economy. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/diminishing-city-hope-despair-and-whyalla-69988">Diminishing city: hope, despair and Whyalla</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Whyalla has another chance to get it right. But it will require an early display of confidence in the form of a successful refinancing of GFC Alliance and
a bold switch to other drivers of growth, by the government, the private sector or both.</p>
<p>It will need more strategic thinking and local action than we have seen to date.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/158761/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
It’s essential to save the steelworks, but that
s just the start.
Michael O'Neil, Executive Director, SA Centre for Economic Studies, University of Adelaide
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/138668
2020-05-18T13:33:39Z
2020-05-18T13:33:39Z
How captive animals are coping with the sudden emptiness of the world’s zoos and aquariums
<p>More than 700 million people visit zoos and aquariums each year <a href="https://www.waza.org/">worldwide</a>, so human visitors are usually a constant presence for the animals that live there. But the COVID-19 pandemic has forced these places to close to the public, plunging resident animals into an empty silence. </p>
<p>Instead, zoos have been opening virtually during the lockdown, allowing people to see behind the closed doors from the comfort of their living rooms. Chester Zoo in the UK hosted an online tour so popular that it “<a href="https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/relive-chester-zoos-first-ever-18006186">broke the internet when it went viral</a>” according to one zookeeper, with hundreds of thousands of people worldwide flocking to the zoo’s Facebook page.</p>
<p>Zoo workers have described how animals are greeting the isolation during COVID-19 closures. One zoo in India reported that animals were “<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/call-of-the-wild-quiet-brings-out-animal-instincts-at-zoo/articleshow/75665638.cms">loving the quiet spell</a>” – foxes were “frolicking around”, the hippopotamus was happily splashing in its pool and even the tigers were enjoying a dip. In other zoos, animals seem to be <a href="https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/animals-twycross-zoo-are-missing-4119435">missing people</a>. Twycross Zoo’s curator reported primates looking for zoo visitors, for instance. </p>
<p>Some zoo animals are forgetting all about their previous lives, with garden eels at one Japanese aquarium hiding when staff members approached their enclosure. Workers have asked the public to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/01/japanese-aquarium-urges-public-to-video-chat-eels-who-are-forgetting-humans-exist">make video calls to their eels</a>, to try and prevent them from seeing visitors as a threat when the aquarium reopens. Meanwhile, some animals are enjoying the freedom of daily zoo walks, like the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVfTGFBJ8a8">penguins at the Shedd Aquarium</a> in Chicago, which were let out to wander the empty halls and look into the other enclosures.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1257113784503742465"}"></div></p>
<p>Is this reprieve from regular visitors healthy for zoo animals? And how will they respond to people suddenly flooding back once zoos reopen? Researchers and animal charities are worried that our pets will develop <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/dogs-trust-separation-anxiety-pets-coronavirus-lockdown-a9477541.html">separation anxiety once their owners return to work</a>. The opposite might happen among zoo animals. Will captive creatures be desperate for the public to return or have they adapted to a slower, quieter life?</p>
<h2>When zoos reopen</h2>
<p>As zoos that have closed for months <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/coronavirus-lockdown-europe-austria-pools-zoos-opened-a4426021.html">reopen their doors</a>, we have an opportunity to study how visitors influence the lives of zoo animals. While we can’t predict the future, previous research on how zoo animals have responded to changes in visitor schedules might give us some idea of what to expect. </p>
<p>During the night, zoo animals are used to relative peace and quiet. For many, beyond the odd security warden, there are no visitors. But before COVID-19, some zoos did open their doors outside of normal opening hours, for <a href="https://www.colchester-zoo.com/event/starlight-safari-night-2/">late-night tours</a> and <a href="https://twycrosszoo.org/events/twycross-zoo-safari-sleepover-camping-experience/">overnight camps</a>.</p>
<p>Typically, we study animal behaviours to understand how they may be feeling and try to make judgements about their experiences. From that, we can say that zoo animals have tended to show mixed responses to evening events. A <a href="http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/142/1422582743.pdf">study</a> at a zoo in Germany found that elephants sought comfort from others in their herd during an evening firework display, but they didn’t retreat into their indoor enclosures. <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/vmi/2017/6585380/">Researchers</a> at London Zoo noticed no changes in the behaviour of lions during sunset safaris, on evenings when the zoo was open for visitors until 10pm, compared to their behaviour during normal opening hours.</p>
<p>Across the board, changes in the usual routines of zoo animals affect different species in different ways. The quiet caused by vanished visitors might mean more animals performing attention-seeking behaviours to try and interact with visitors more than normal, as keepers have reported chimpanzees doing <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/life-covid-19-animals-zookeepers-maryland-zoo/story?id=70422788">during lockdown</a>, as they reach out towards workers who would usually feed them by hand. It may also cause them to be overly skittish to human visitors when they return, like the garden eels in Japan.</p>
<p>This is the longest time many zoo animals will have gone without the public, and zoo staff will have to help them transition back to normal life. Most zoos are planning <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-52493750">phased reopenings</a> of animal houses to prevent the sudden changes in noise disturbing the animals. </p>
<p>Some animals, especially those born during the COVID-19 lockdown, will never have experienced life in the public eye. Many up-close animal encounters <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-zoos-must-change-to-keep-great-apes-safe-from-coronavirus-134692">will have to change</a>, particularly as <a href="https://theconversation.com/transmission-of-diseases-from-humans-to-apes-why-extra-vigilance-is-now-needed-134083">humans can transmit coronaviruses to great apes</a> in captivity.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-zoos-must-change-to-keep-great-apes-safe-from-coronavirus-134692">How zoos must change to keep great apes safe from coronavirus</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>On your next visit, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-behave-at-a-zoo-according-to-science-73873">be cool, calm and collected</a>. Keepers and other zoo staff will be on hand to guide you, helping enforce social distancing and supporting you on how best to behave around the animals. Your local zoo will need visitors more than ever when they reopen. But remember, zoo animals will be experiencing their own post lockdown fuzz, and, just like you, they may need time to adjust.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/138668/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
One aquarium in Japan has asked the public to make video calls to captive garden eels so they don’t forget about human visitors.
Ellen Williams, Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University
Jessica Rendle, Honorary Postdoctoral Associate in Conservation Medicine, Murdoch University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/60355
2016-06-14T20:17:08Z
2016-06-14T20:17:08Z
Finding Nemo – and Dory – is easy. Deciding whether they should be pets is harder
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/126380/original/image-20160613-29205-1vcpdle.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Unlike clownfish (Nemo), Pacific blue tang fish (Dory) cannot be bred in captivity. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nostri-imago/3149754704/in/photolist-5NkjkA-8NMQzA-bJoDWP-5oeLXy-7fxbho-5n4BH6-8NJKfV-5n4B9k-bcnSGX-eKp5sr-5n8SZd-q76Xqf">nostri-imago/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Coral reefs across the globe are <a href="http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral_bleach.html">under threat from climate change</a>. Fishing of any kind is often seen as a further assault on these ecosystems, and any perceived increase in fishing, especially when not for subsistence, is often met with calls to stop taking fish from the sea.</p>
<p>As has been the case with other <a href="http://www.sunderlandecho.com/whats-on/film/as-disney-movie-sparks-pet-warning-here-are-five-film-fads-that-have-been-bad-for-animals-1-7933041">movies featuring pets</a>,
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266543/">“Finding Nemo”</a> was reported to <a href="http://www.emagazine.com/magazine-archive/buying-nemo">increase sales</a> of clownfish for aquariums. This weekend, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2277860/">“Finding Dory”</a> is being released, and this is leading to renewed calls to <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2016/06/03/480556852/please-lets-not-find-dory">stop</a> taking aquarium fish off reefs including Dory’s species, the Pacific blue tang. </p>
<p>These reef fisheries, however, are important economic drivers for the reef-side communities. If we end these fisheries, what will the fishermen do? Acting without fully understanding the trade in marine ornamental fish could lead to a host of unintended consequences. Our actions in the name of conservation could actually harm the health of coral reefs and the communities that depend on them.</p>
<h2>Imported fish are not always wild</h2>
<p>Understanding the trade of fish destined for saltwater aquariums is difficult, since statistics on the pet trade are poor at best. Following the release of the movie “Zootopia,” the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-zootopia-foxes-china-20160330-story.html">LA Times</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/apr/11/zootopia-disney-animation-chinese-fennec-foxes-as-pets">the Guardian</a> reported a rise in interest and sales of fennec foxes – one of the animals depicted in the film – as pets. But researchers Diogo Verissimo and Anita Wan <a href="http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2016/05/23/is-zootopia-creating-demand-for-pet-fennec-foxes-in-china-spoiler-probably-not/">found there was no evidence for an increase in trade in this fox</a>.</p>
<p>Here, we examine what is known about the trade in clownfish and Pacific blue tang. Finding data will help develop solutions that are best not only for the fish, but also for the reefs where they live and the communities that rely so heavily on these ecosystems. </p>
<p>To overcome the lack of reliable data on the market for aquarium fish, we developed <a href="https://www.aquariumtradedata.org">Aquariumtradedata.org</a>. This project collects and analyzes data from invoices of the marine aquarium fish entering into the U.S. To date we have examined nearly 30,000 invoices, with 2011 the most current year in the database.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/126362/original/image-20160613-18068-190tyto.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/126362/original/image-20160613-18068-190tyto.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/126362/original/image-20160613-18068-190tyto.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126362/original/image-20160613-18068-190tyto.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126362/original/image-20160613-18068-190tyto.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126362/original/image-20160613-18068-190tyto.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=620&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126362/original/image-20160613-18068-190tyto.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=620&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126362/original/image-20160613-18068-190tyto.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=620&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Most of the clownfish in the trade are captive bred, but wild clownfish are commonly imported into the U.S. for home aquariums from the Philippines. Values are averages of 2008, 2009 and 2011.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://aquariumtradedata.org/">Aquariumtradedata.org</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/126365/original/image-20160613-29219-1dlkmfp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/126365/original/image-20160613-29219-1dlkmfp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/126365/original/image-20160613-29219-1dlkmfp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126365/original/image-20160613-29219-1dlkmfp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126365/original/image-20160613-29219-1dlkmfp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126365/original/image-20160613-29219-1dlkmfp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=614&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126365/original/image-20160613-29219-1dlkmfp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=614&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126365/original/image-20160613-29219-1dlkmfp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=614&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Contrary to what popular movies may say, tangs are very difficult to breed in the laboratory. Values are averages of 2008, 2009 and 2011.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://aquariumtradedata.org/">Aquariumtradedata.org</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are many types of clownfish imported into the U.S. – 24 different species from 25 different countries. But the real confusion in understanding the trade in clownfish is trying to tell the species apart. Many clownfish species are similar in appearance, and thus cannot be differentiated in trade statistics. </p>
<p>Nemo is technically the percula clown fish (<a href="http://www.kidzworld.com/article/3695-facts-about-the-clown-fish"><em>Amphiprion percula</em></a>), since he lived on the Great Barrier Reef. This species is often misidentified as the common or false-percula clownfish (<em>Amphiprion ocellaris</em>), and because of the mistakes in identification, these species are combined in trade statistics. In 2011, just over 250,000 percula and ocellaris clownfish were imported into the U.S., making this species complex the seventh most popular marine aquarium fish import. </p>
<p>The global wild Nemo population is <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/08/24/2015-20754/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-notice-of-12-month-finding-on-a-petition-to-list-the#h-15">estimated to be between 13 and 18 million fish</a>. Unfortunately, trade statistics do not accurately reflect if imported fish are wild or from aquaculture. Clownfish have been bred in <a href="http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/2/breeder">captivity (aquaculture) since 1973</a>, and they have the capacity to produce all fish in the trade. Marine aquaculture companies such as Florida-based <a href="http://www.orafarm.com/">ORA,</a> one of the largest U.S. based companies, can produce hundreds of thousands of clownfish in captivity each year, yet there are no official trade statistics to compare domestic production to international supply. </p>
<p>There are also numerous companies internationally, so even if there was an increase in clownfish sales after the release of “Finding Dory,” this demand could be met by increases in captive production. Wild collection of clownfish has been decreasing steadily over the past 10 years, commercial aquaculture can meet any spikes in demand for Nemo (and is also offering <a href="http://www.proaquatix.com/clownfish-2/">designer clownfish</a>). </p>
<p>So concerns over “Finding Dory” and its impact on clownfish populations are likely unwarranted. In fact, there are no data we are aware of that support claims of increased fishing pressure on clownfish because of “Finding Nemo.” </p>
<h2>The problem with aquaculture for Dory</h2>
<p>The Pacific blue tang (Dory) should be kept on the reef. </p>
<p>This species occurs in much lower numbers in the marine aquarium trade, and will remain limited because it has not been successfully bred in captivity (the larval fish are really small and challenging to grow). In addition, the Pacific blue tang is a species for only experienced hobbyist if for no other reason than it needs much much more room to swim than clownfish. It also costs much more than the clownfish. </p>
<p>The aquarium industry has released several <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/petco-educates-families-about-responsible-fishkeeping-ahead-of-finding-dory-300283260.html">PR campaigns</a> to dissuade potential impulse purchases. All these factors will likely limit sales. Regardless, a responsible approach by the aquarium trade would be to not give in to any potential increase in demand. The Pacific blue tang is a species of concern. </p>
<p>While the message of keeping all fish on the reef is relevant to some species, this overly simplistic message drastically overlooks the power of reef fish as a driver of rural economies and reef conservation. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125614/original/image-20160607-15045-uhoqjb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125614/original/image-20160607-15045-uhoqjb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125614/original/image-20160607-15045-uhoqjb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125614/original/image-20160607-15045-uhoqjb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125614/original/image-20160607-15045-uhoqjb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125614/original/image-20160607-15045-uhoqjb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125614/original/image-20160607-15045-uhoqjb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125614/original/image-20160607-15045-uhoqjb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many fish in the aquarium trade are also collected at larger sizes and sold in food markets, such as this one in Taiwan, for a much lower price.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Michael Tlusty</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Ornamental marine fish are a high-value fish, and they are caught by the individual - not by the net full. Prices average US$500/kilogram ($1,100 per pound). This is a significant economic opportunity for <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1755-263X.2012.00265.x/pdf">the communities that reside next to the reef</a>. </p>
<p>Groups such as the marine conservation nonprofit <a href="http://www.lini.or.id/sustainable-marine-ornamental-fisheries/">LINI in Indonesia</a> work with the marine aquarium fishers to restore reefs, teach them better methods and even catch baby wild fish and grow them in cages for eventual release back onto the reef. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/local-fishing-rights-marine-reserves-a-better-approach-to-small-scale-fisheries-recovery-47025">Small-scale fisheries can recover quickly</a> through local control along with creation of <a href="https://theconversation.com/simple-index-assesses-reef-health-to-guide-fisheries-management-choices-36540">marine protected areas</a>. If we stop the wild collection of these marine fish, what will be the drive to protect the reefs from overfishing? We need to harness the power of these fisheries to sustain the communities that will in turn protect the reefs. </p>
<h2>Role for ornamental fish in conservation</h2>
<p>The marine aquarium trade can be a force for <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877343513001942">conservation good</a>. It can stimulate rural economies and, at the same time, drive the development of scientific curiosity of children half a world away. </p>
<p>But we need <a href="https://rettalbot.wordpress.com/">balance to the debate</a> – we should not blindly select wild or aquaculture fish without knowing the good and the bad of each. There are <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044848601006834">risks and benefits to aquaculture</a>, and this <a href="http://www.sustainabilitysci.org/aquariums.html">flow chart</a> addresses the species that should be traded, and if they should be wild caught or produced in aquaculture. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/126382/original/image-20160613-29225-2or0gs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/126382/original/image-20160613-29225-2or0gs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/126382/original/image-20160613-29225-2or0gs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126382/original/image-20160613-29225-2or0gs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126382/original/image-20160613-29225-2or0gs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126382/original/image-20160613-29225-2or0gs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126382/original/image-20160613-29225-2or0gs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/126382/original/image-20160613-29225-2or0gs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Clownfish are one of the first and best examples of aquaculture success in marine ornamental fish.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/camrich345/15766329864/in/photolist-8WbDgV-adJFa1-q2dyzw-7cf6va-qKDPmQ-4xQQbL-eaiHrQ-7bMpXN-7F8Kum-qHwtTV-8WbDZz-5DyqnM-542vLq-58vKW4-5Zxp4g-58zTMS-58vJQn-7C1KuN-7BWYfg-6bUzPy-eN628h-4C4EnU-GyUgf8-9AmgyC-7Mj2Ke-7rW474-4zwibp-amvXFk-9QTpRH-9Gc3if-4kMUXN-5P7kaC-7oJ5m1-7fVSfB-88evPw-7Je2Zd-WEiY-5JQfVo-6TYnwk-fSCp7t-6udHER-9UcFLB-6EPcb6-7fj6tS-dfwxrF-bpCBH3-8ssegW-BXsHD-psgvGX-6qV65J/">camrich345/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There is no one right answer. For most consumers, Dory and Nemo should not be sourced from wild populations, but for very different reasons. Fish are a wonderful way to teach children about hypothesis testing and cause and effect. These lessons can be broadened to engage children about healthy functioning ecosystems. </p>
<p>These are similar lessons that can be applied at the source of these fish, to engage local communities to protect their reef resources to provide economic benefits from these healthy reefs. But we are data-poor about this trade, and this lack of understanding may result in <a href="https://rettalbot.wordpress.com/">uninformed decisions</a> that may have unintended consequences. By finding data, we can best understand the role ornamental fish can have in being a force for conservation good.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/60355/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Tlusty is also the Director of Ocean Sustainability Science at the New England Aquarium. He has not received funding from any organization or company that would benefit from this research. Funding to develop aquariumtradedata.org was received from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as well as the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Rhyne received funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Coral Reef Conservation Program as well as the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. He also serves as a consultant for marine ornamental aquaculture. </span></em></p>
The release of the movie ‘Finding Dory’ comes with renewed calls to leave fish in reefs – a good idea in this case – but catching some ornamental fish can have a positive impact on reef communities.
Michael Tlusty, Research Faculty, UMass Boston
Andrew Rhyne, Associate Professor of Marine Biology, Roger Williams University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/56527
2016-03-22T09:51:57Z
2016-03-22T09:51:57Z
Will the end of breeding orcas at SeaWorld change much for animals in captivity?
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/115826/original/image-20160321-30908-1yx0ww2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">No more breeding, but still on exhibit.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OrcaShow_SeaWorld_3.jpg">Business Navigatoren</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When SeaWorld announced it would <a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0317-manby-sea-world-orca-breeding-20160317-story.html">stop breeding orcas</a> and begin to phase out “theatrical performances” using the animals, the news appeared to mark a significant change in ideas about animals and captivity.</p>
<p>Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and Joel Manby, CEO of SeaWorld, <a href="http://www.npr.org/2016/03/17/470861233/seaworld-to-end-orca-breeding-program-in-partnership-with-humane-society">promoted their new partnership</a> in interviews. After a long history of mutual recrimination, the two organizations say they’ll work together to provide needed support for wild marine creatures in distress and to improve the circumstances of currently captive orcas in the U.S. As SeaWorld’s Manby put it:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s clear to me that society is shifting. People’s view to have these beautiful, majestic animals under human care – people are more and more uncomfortable with that. And no matter what side you are on this issue, it’s clear that that’s shifting, and we need to shift with that.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If there is indeed a shift going on, it seems to be more in the rhetoric of the animal exhibition industries than in public comfort (or discomfort) with seeing large animals in captivity.</p>
<h2>Changing with the times…</h2>
<p>For anyone interested in the history of exhibiting exotic animals, the news that people’s expectations have changed and that zoological gardens, aquariums and circuses are responsive to those changes can’t help but illicit a little cynicism.</p>
<p>The SeaWorld/HSUS announcement echoes news from last year that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus decided to phase out elephant performances and retire the animals to a state-of-the-art sanctuary. In both cases, the companies were clearly facing growing public criticism damaging their bottom lines. They appear to have made business decisions to protect their brands and refocus the public’s attention on what they describe as more critical core missions. </p>
<p>At the same time, both announcements were framed as having resulted from the recognition that the times have changed – “that society is shifting” – and that change is making circumstances better for animals in captivity. This claim reaches far beyond charismatic whales and elephants and is deployed for all kinds of new policies and exhibits.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OoqgrupfD5k?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Zoological Society of London’s advertisement for ‘Land of the Lions.’</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Later this month, for example, the London Zoo will open its “breath-taking” newest exhibit, “<a href="https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/exhibits/land-of-the-lions">Land of the Lions</a>,” featuring “thrilling, immersive Indian-themed areas to explore – including a train station, crumbling temple clearing, high street and guard hut.” The exhibit is described as an “interactive adventure,” through which visitors will “get closer than ever before to mighty Asiatic lions.”</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h_iiE73nJDc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Queen Elizabeth opens ‘Land of the Lions.’</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As remarkable as this exhibit sounds, a video of the queen officially opening the exhibit shows a fairly unsurprising couple of female lions “activated” by having food dispersed in a relatively small exhibit with wire fencing. </p>
<h2>But the times have been changing for a while</h2>
<p>I’m not sure whether the queen felt transported to India in visiting this exhibit. What is clear, though, is that the zoo wants us to believe that this exhibit is something entirely novel. This sort of claim is very old, indeed.</p>
<p>Even in 1869, for example, almost 150 years ago, an editorial appeared in the <em>Daily News</em> of London describing a proposed new lion house for this same zoo. Pointing to a history of “dismal menagerie cages,” the <a href="http://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB000014698/">article heralded a new vision</a> of “displaying lions and tigers, in what may be called by comparison a state of nature” and the public can look forward to seeing “lions at play, free as their own jungle home; tigers crouching, springing, gamboling, with as little restraint as the low plains of their native India.” </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/115923/original/image-20160321-32315-1ik4kt2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/115923/original/image-20160321-32315-1ik4kt2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/115923/original/image-20160321-32315-1ik4kt2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=723&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/115923/original/image-20160321-32315-1ik4kt2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=723&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/115923/original/image-20160321-32315-1ik4kt2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=723&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/115923/original/image-20160321-32315-1ik4kt2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=909&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/115923/original/image-20160321-32315-1ik4kt2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=909&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/115923/original/image-20160321-32315-1ik4kt2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=909&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A late 19th-century vision of a zoological park of the future.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">From Nigel Rothfels' Savages and Beasts: The Birth of the Modern Zoo</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Ever since public zoos began to be built in the 19th century, there’s been a consistent rhetorical pattern behind any proposed new zoo or aquarium or exhibit. </p>
<p>The argument typically runs something like this: whereas in the past our exhibits have been disappointing, uninspiring and small, our new exhibit will finally make it seem like the animals are not in captivity. As importantly, the animals themselves will also finally be happy.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, almost all of these new exhibits turn out to be somehow less than was envisioned, less than was hoped…simply less. </p>
<p>This is <em>not</em> to say that exhibits haven’t in fact gotten better. Exhibited animals are in general better cared for and healthier in all ways than they used to be. </p>
<p>Each generation of exhibits does tend to improve on what came before; elephant exhibits being built at the more ambitious zoos of today, like the Oregon Zoo’s “<a href="http://www.oregonzoo.org/discover/new-zoo/elephant-lands">Elephant Lands</a>,” for example, have typically radically improved the conditions for the animals, keepers and the visiting public. And these changes have been pushed by public concerns along with the ambitions of designers and directors to provide better circumstances for the animals. </p>
<p>But all that doesn’t alter the fact of captivity. And that fact will, as best as I can tell, continue to undermine whatever rhetorical gestures may be made declaring a new day for animals and people.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/56527/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nigel Rothfels does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
The history of displaying exotic animals seems to be one of evolving public expectations about what constitutes acceptable conditions. Is it a case of the more things change, the more they stay the same?
Nigel Rothfels, Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/33501
2014-11-17T10:41:16Z
2014-11-17T10:41:16Z
Flamingos with flu and hippos in hurricanes: emergency preparedness in zoos and aquariums
<p>You need only look at the papers or television news to see the reports. Infectious disease outbreaks, weather emergencies and disasters both natural and man-made. They’re all not just threats to human populations – they have the potential to disrupt the daily operations of zoos and aquariums and the lives of their animal inhabitants.</p>
<h2>Past disasters</h2>
<p>In 2004 an <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.VIROL.2005.08.032">outbreak of H5N1</a> avian influenza among tigers and leopards at zoos in Thailand resulted in the deaths of 45 animals. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita damaged the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans in 2005, though the only animals <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-10-15-audubon-zoo_x.htm">lost</a> were two otters and a raccoon. The New Orleans Aquarium of the Americas did not fare as well after that storm; most of the fish in their collection <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/09/07/katrina.zoos/">died</a> when they lost power. The 2007 California wildfires threatened the San Diego Wild Animal Park causing the facility to <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/10/22/wildfire.ca/">close and relocate</a> some of the endangered species within its collection. These events can be devastating for the involved facilities.</p>
<p>There are more than 2,800 USDA <a href="https://www.aza.org/what-is-accreditation/">licensed animal exhibitors</a> in the US, ranging from very large facilities to private individuals with few animals. It’s crucial for all the venues in this diverse community to prepare for disasters and have contingency plans in place. The <a href="https://www.aza.org/visitor-demographics/">175 million people</a> who visit zoos or aquariums annually form a unique ecosystem where humans, exotic wildlife, domestic animals and local wildlife interact with each other on a daily basis. As a result, emergency response planning must take the welfare of visitors, staff, first responders, collection animals, agricultural animals, and even local wildlife into consideration.</p>
<h2>Get ready</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64305/original/x73yj2cx-1415734201.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64305/original/x73yj2cx-1415734201.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64305/original/x73yj2cx-1415734201.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64305/original/x73yj2cx-1415734201.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64305/original/x73yj2cx-1415734201.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=592&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64305/original/x73yj2cx-1415734201.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=592&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64305/original/x73yj2cx-1415734201.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=592&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Our training helps staff prepare for the worst.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For the past four years, a team of experts from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, the US Department of Agriculture Division of Animal Care and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums has encouraged animal facilities to plan for the worst. Our group has been running preparedness exercises at large and small zoological institutions in urban, rural and suburban locations.</p>
<p>The first step for zoos is to figure out where they stand. Have they thought about what they would do if a tornado is headed their way or a contagious disease is affecting wild animals in their vicinity? The goal is to protect the health, safety and welfare of all the animals in their collection. But in the face of an emergency, it may not be possible to relocate all the animals that may be in harm’s way. Endangered and threatened species often take priority for relocation – if there is a nearby facility to house the animals, and if they can be moved safely. In other circumstances the best approach may be to shelter-in-place. It should help to have decisions of this kind made before disaster strikes.</p>
<p>Zoo and aquarium personnel have to think through disease control measures as well. These can include isolation and quarantine of exposed animals, closing exhibits, moving animals normally housed outdoors to an indoor facility and using special disinfectants and personal protective equipment for personnel. Preparedness planning includes keeping needed items in stock and identifying emergency suppliers.</p>
<h2>Practicing the plans</h2>
<p>Once plans are in place, it’s time to train zoological personnel and put those response plans to the test. And it’s not just those who work at zoos that could potentially be involved in an emergency response at a zoological facility.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64063/original/y99fkctv-1415581413.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64063/original/y99fkctv-1415581413.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64063/original/y99fkctv-1415581413.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64063/original/y99fkctv-1415581413.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64063/original/y99fkctv-1415581413.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64063/original/y99fkctv-1415581413.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64063/original/y99fkctv-1415581413.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64063/original/y99fkctv-1415581413.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The incident command post during an emergency drill at the Detroit zoo.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">James Brennan</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Imagine an outbreak of avian influenza; the alarm would muster state, local and federal agencies. Since it’s a human health risk, public health agencies would be called upon. Risk to the commercial poultry industry would bring in the US Department of Agriculture and state animal health agencies. Departments of Natural Resources and the Interior would coordinate response activities involving free-living waterfowl like ducks and geese, since they could serve as a source of transmission to zoos and commercial poultry. Cleanup and disposal of potentially contaminated bedding and manure may require approvals by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation. If the animal involved is on loan from another country, even the US State Department may become involved.</p>
<p>Our <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/jhsem-2013-0052">Flu at the Zoo</a> exercise brought together people from each of the potential stakeholder groups along with representatives from 16 zoos and aquariums. Attendees responded to a hypothetical outbreak scenario: an infectious disease begins to spread within a local zoo. Approximately 87% of the participants who completed the feedback form afterward indicated that <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/jhsem-2013-0052">understanding communication channels</a> was most in need of improvement. So next, in our subsequent Zoo Ready program, we focused on training zoo personnel on the Incident Command System that state and federal regulatory agencies and local first responders use during a disaster. That way, we hope, communication challenges and insufficient coordination across agencies and institutions won’t prevent a timely and effective emergency response.</p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>Zoos and aquariums play beneficial roles in global conservation efforts and environmental and biomedical teaching and research. In 2010, American zoos and aquariums <a href="https://www.aza.org/uploadedFiles/Press_Room/News_Releases/AZA%20Impacts%202011.pdf">contributed</a> US$16 billion to the economy and provided in excess of 142,000 jobs. In addition, zoos and aquariums <a href="https://www.aza.org/uploadedFiles/Education/why_zoos_matter.pdf">enhance public understanding</a> of wildlife and the conservation of the places animals live. </p>
<p>For these reasons, as well as concern for the welfare of the animals they contain, it’s important that substantial progress has been made on the readiness front for zoos and aquariums.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/33501/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Yvette Johnson-Walker receives funding from US Department of Agriculture Animal Care in support of her work in this field.</span></em></p>
You need only look at the papers or television news to see the reports. Infectious disease outbreaks, weather emergencies and disasters both natural and man-made. They’re all not just threats to human…
Yvette Johnson-Walker, Clinical Instructor of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.