Origins Sustainability and Transparency in Aquatic Collections

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JUNE 2016

A publication of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums

RAISING THE REEFS A NEW “SPIRIT” OF DISCOVERY BEYOND COMPLIANCE Corals in Crisis The Maritime Aquarium’s National Aquarium is Creating New Hybrid Electric Research Vessel Accessible Environments

June 2016

Features 20 30 36 42 ORIGINS: Sustainability RAISING THE REEFS: A New “Spirit” of BEYOND COMPLIANCE: and Transparency in Corals in Crisis Discovery National Aquarium is Aquatic Collections Coral—elkhorn and staghorn The Maritime Aquarium sits on Creating Accessible The aquatic animal chain coral, in particular—has been the edge of the Long Island Environments as a Way of custody is a complicated decimated throughout the Sound in Norwalk Harbor, and to Inspire Conservation topic. Overfishing, illegal Caribbean in the last four a vital part of its mission is to As a public institution, the capturing practices, animals decades. Both are listed as reveal the unseen wonders in its National Aquarium plays infected with diseases and threatened species under backyard to Aquarium guests an essential role in creating poor working conditions for the Endangered Species Act and coastal communities. Since inclusive environments. those doing the fishing all and have suffered declines last June, the Aquarium has Universal design was a raise concerns about how of more than 90 percent, had a powerful new tool in its guiding principle throughout animals are collected. according to the National efforts to expose and study the design process. The Oceanic Atmospheric the life of the Sound —the first BY KATIE MORELL Aquarium’s goal was Administration. research vessel in the country to design a welcoming BY KATE SILVER that runs on hybrid-electric environment that is usable power, serving as a one-of-a- by everyone with the least kind floating classroom and amount of adaptation. scientific platform. BY JENNY HAMILTON BY TOM NAIMAN AND NICOLE ROSENFELD

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Member View Departments

7 Habitat Restoration 10 Green Tales 14 Sustainable 50 Faces & Places Making way for turtles in Ripley’s Aquarium of the Populations off-leash dog park Smokies harnesses the New Tomistomas 51 Calendar power of the sun. at Virginia Aquarium 8 By the Numbers 53 Exhibits The AZA community and 11 Conservation 15 Workshop 54 Advertiser Index aquatic conservation Grants Fund Virginia Zoo implements Building public support zookeeper training 54 Announcements 9 Promoting Plastic for Bornean sun bear workshops in the Philippines Waste Reduction conservation 72 Births & Hatchings Plastic pollution is a critically 17 Research important issue that 12 Animal Health Lincoln Park Zoo’s Urban About the cover resonates with the public, Jacksonville Zoo and Wildlife Institute expands Tigerfish but traditional informational Gardens contributes to The across the Midwest campaigns aren’t spurring Great Ape Heart Project enough action. 17 Research 13 Award This month’s selection of Short Film by Toledo Zoo staff what has been published. members wins film festival © Todd Stailey, Tennessee Aquarium Tennessee Stailey, © Todd

VISIT US ONLINE Editorial policy: Connect is published by the aza.org Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to the LIKE US ON FACEBOOK advancement of zoological parks and aquariums for facebook.com/Association conservation, education, scientific studies and recreation. Issued to members OfZoosAndAquariums as a free service; not available as a subscription. Mailed during the first week of the month. Articles submitted for Connect do not necessarily reflect the FOLLOW US ON TWITTER opinions and policies of AZA. twitter.com/zoos_aquariums Mission: Connect is a forum for promoting AZA’s mission by highlighting zoo E-MAIL THE EDITOR and aquarium trends, industry initiatives, conservation efforts and member [email protected] achievements. Copyright policy: All items appearing in Connect are copyright of AZA. Permission to reprint items must be obtained by contacting AZA’s Publications Department at [email protected]. Advertising policy: Advertising is available. AZA reserves the right to refuse advertising not consistent with its mission. Ad contracts are issued on an annual basis, and ads are accepted on a one, three, six, nine or 12-time basis. Deadline for insertion orders is the first of the month preceding publication. Deadline for artwork is the 10th of the month preceding publication. Rates and mechanical requirements are available upon request.

June 2016 | www.aza.org 3 EDITOR Tim Lewthwaite A Wealth of Knowledge ASSISTANT EDITOR Jennifer Fields and Resources ART DIRECTION LTD Creative At the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ (AZA) Mid-Year Meeting in March, I had the GRAPHIC DESIGNER chance to spend some time with my friend John Frawley, who is the newly appointed Lisa Cadigan, Cadigan Creative ADVERTISING director of the Minnesota Zoo. John is one of the most innovative guys I know. Walking Gina Velosky through the aquarium at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, it was great to get his (301) 562-0777, ext. 254, [email protected] perspective on our profession and how we can push forward to become one of the greatest EDITORIAL BOARD forces for wildlife conservation in the world. When John speaks, I always listen because Thom Benson | Tennessee Aquarium Julie Larsen-Maher | Wildlife Conservation Society he is never bound by convention. He is always willing to ask why we do things a certain Tim Lewthwaite | Editor way and how we can improve. Since Zoo Boise is currently working on our strategic plan, Kristin L. Vehrs | Executive Director I listened carefully. It made me think about who else I turn to when I look for the latest zoological thinking. Here’s my list. If you want to know how you combine a zoo or aquarium with a conservation organization, talk with Jim Breheny, director of the Bronx Zoo. The Wildlife Interim President and CEO Conservation Society has been doing Kristin L. Vehrs Chief Operating Officer this for more than 118 years. Nobody Jill Nicoll does it better. Jim is a generous guy and Senior Vice President of Conservation and Science not only will he answer your questions, Debborah Luke, PhD Senior Vice President of External Affairs but he also will most likely give you Rob Vernon a laugh. If you want to know how to Senior Vice President of Finance design exhibits that will connect your Phil Wagner SAFE Project Manager visitors to your conservation work, talk Jackie Ogden, PhD with Lee Ehmke, the director of the Vice President of Animal Programs Houston Zoo. Candice Dorsey, PhD Vice President, Conferences and Membership If you want to know how to Melissa Howerton put together zoo field conservation Vice President of Congressional Affairs partnerships, talk with Tony Vecchio, Jennifer Keaton director of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. Tony was my first true zoo mentor, and he Vice President of Accreditation Programs Denny Lewis is still teaching me things. If you want to know how a small to medium size institution Vice President of Federal Relations can constantly evolve exhibit design, animal care standards and conservation programs, Steve Olson talk with Bob Chastain, director of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, or Keith Winsten, For a full listing of AZA’s staff, visit www.aza.org/about-aza director of the Brevard Zoo. If you are wondering the same thing for a big zoo or AZA BOARD OF DIRECTORS aquarium, call Kevin Bell, director of the Lincoln Park Zoo. I learn new things every time Chair I am around him. And if you need no nonsense advice on everything I just mentioned, Steve Burns | Director, Zoo Boise talk with Pat Simmons, director of the North Carolina Zoo. Chair Elect Dennis W. Kelly | Director, Smithsonian National Zoological Park I share this partial list of my mentors with you to illustrate this point: we are an Vice Chair incredibly talented and smart group of people. As an AZA member, I encourage you to Jim Breheny | Executive Vice President and General Director, Zoos take advantage of your colleagues and your Association. There is a wealth of knowledge and Aquarium, Jonathan Little Cohen Director of the Bronx Zoo and resources at your fingertips. Wildlife Conservation Society Past Chair These dedicated mentors have broadened my horizons and helped to evolve my Dennis E. Pate | Executive Director and CEO, Omaha’s Henry thinking. Next month, the AZA Board of Directors will be hiring a new chief executive Doorly Zoo and Aquarium officer. Soon it will be time to plan our Association’s future, and, in turn, our profession’s Directors future. I will be looking to this group, and to all of you, to challenge ourselves to become Bob Chastain | President & CEO, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Lynn B. Clements | Director, Virginia Aquarium and Marine the profession the natural world needs us to be. Science Center Suzanne M. Gendron | Executive Director Zoological Operations and Education Ocean Park Corporation Gregg Hudson | Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dallas Zoo Management, Inc. Christopher Kuhar, PhD | Executive Director, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Steve Burns John Lewis | Zoo Director, Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens Steve Marshall | Zoo Director, El Paso Zoo Director, Zoo Boise Amos Morris | Zoo Director, Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden Peggy Sloan | Director, North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher

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4 www.aza.org | June 2016 Take a Walk on the Wild Side with Digital Signage

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Collect donations & contact info for awareness emails All Weather NEMA 6X Help guests navigate the zoo with wayfinding Promote events, shows, and talks in an exciting way rain snow ice heat

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Habitat Restoration

Collect donations & contact Making Way info for awareness emails All Weather NEMA 6X for Turtles in Help guests navigate the zoo with wayfinding Off-Leash Dog Park © Oregon Zoo © Oregon Promote events, shows, and talks in an exciting way rain snow ice heat In the Sandy River Delta Park, just 15 miles program. The Zoo has been involved in “No turtle nest surveys have ever been out of Portland, Ore., the Sandy River Basin Oregon native turtle conservation since done in this delta,” Weiler explained. “Given Watershed Council has been busy yanking shortly after efforts began in 1990. that they lay their eggs underground, it’s out non-native, invasive plants and erecting By building fences, the Council hopes going to be hard to find them.” We have the top-of-the-line solutions your park needs to create a digital experience temporary fences—creating safe nesting to steer the Park’s 100,000 annual human One habitat requirement is sun. Turtles for guests that allows information to be displayed quickly, easily, and in an eye-catching spots for the yellow-striped reptiles that have visitors (“and probably the same number of need sunlight to regulate their inner body lived here for millennia. dogs,” Weiler said) clear of what it believes are temperature, Weiler said, and turtle eggs need manner. And, you never have to worry about the weather damaging our products. “This year, our priority is the western preferred turtle nesting sites on the delta— plenty of warmth from the sun to develop and The Xtreme™ Outdoor Display is the industry’s only fully-sealed, sunlight readable painted turtle and, potentially, the western those areas now free of invasive plants. eventually hatch. For this reason, they nest in and completely weatherproof display. We also oer Fully-Weatherproof Kiosks pond turtle if it is present,” said Bill Weiler, The Council, along with a team of dirt, gravels and soils that aren’t covered by that are completely customizable, and provide ample space to integrate the Council’s restoration project coordinator. trained citizen volunteers from the Oregon any tree or shrub canopy. a media player, interactive touch system, camera, speakers, etc. The Council has worked to restore Zoo, will then conduct visual surveys to see “The western painted turtle is classified this 1,500-acre delta for more than a where exactly the turtles are nesting, plus get as ‘critical’ on Oregon’s Sensitive Species decade, and its 2016 painted turtle habitat a better sense of how many western painted List,” said Susan Barnes, a wildlife biologist enhancement and survey project was turtles are present. This information will be with the Oregon Department of Fish and recently funded by grants from Oregon used to help guide future habitat restoration Wildlife. “Loss of quality wetland and Wildlife’s Beulah Drake grant program efforts and identify opportunities for riparian habitats is the main reason the peerless-av.com and the Oregon Zoo’s Future for Wildlife protecting turtles at the delta. western painted turtle has declined in June 2016 | www.aza.org 7 By the Numbers numbers, but suitable nesting sites are considered a primary limiting factor, in part due to the spread of invasive plants.” Invasive plants like Scotch broom, The Association of Zoos Himalayan blackberry and reed canary grass and Aquariums (AZA) and dominate these areas and have, in large part, led to native turtles’ decline by shading out nesting sites. Reed canary grass, she said, is probably the worst of all the invasive species. This tall, freshwater invader not only blocks habitat but can physically confine the reptiles. “It forms these really dense, thick mats that make it impossible for a female turtle to dig through,” Barnes said. “Sometimes if Marine mammals were the eggs are laid successfully, the grass comes most frequently targeted in and its roots trap the baby turtles in their taxon and received the underground nest.” most funding Barnes notes that Oregon’s native turtles AZA-accredited are also vulnerable to busy roadways, which facilities contributed they often must cross to reach suitable nesting sites. Other threats include lack of basking approximately habitat, unintended human disturbance (sometimes with dogs), illegal collection and release of non-native turtles that compete with and spread disease to native turtles. to field conservation to support aquatic species. Western painted turtles also are a favored of those facilities were aquariums and they meal for many wild animals: non-native, contributed more than of the funds. invasive American bullfrogs and also native wildlife such as great blue herons, raccoons, coyotes and river otters to name a few. It’s hard to measure the impacts of these different pressures, Barnes said, partly Almost species benefited from these projects, because of limited historical population including fish, estimates for the turtles but also because 92 they are challenging to study. aquatic invertebrates, “Turtles are cryptic and easily disturbed,” 36 she said. “They usually see us before we see marine mammals, and them. But based on the issues of habitat 52 loss, degradation and fragmentation alone, 6 of the 7 wherever we have native turtles remaining, it extant sea turtle species. is even more important to protect them and make sure they reproduce so they can survive into the future. Turtles are beautiful creatures, an important part of the food web and healthy ecosystem and fascinating to watch. The Sandy River Delta project is an important step to conserving our native turtles.”

of the targeted species are managed in the AZA community by a Species Survival Plan® (SSP)

8 www.aza.org | June 2016 Waste Reduction Promoting Plastic Waste Reduction on World Oceans Day and Beyond By Alexandra Thomsen

Plastic pollution is a critically important opinion research: Aquarium and zoo visitors with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums issue that resonates with the public. But expect, trust and appreciate information (AZA) Green Scientific Advisory Group, traditional informational campaigns aren’t about how they can join with their local which recently published a “top 10 list” spurring enough action, despite the public institutions in helping to solve pressing highlighting ways to reduce reliance on already being concerned about plastics ocean problems. disposable plastics. pollution and wanting ways to be part of Overall, partner sites reported that in For World Oceans Day 2016 and a solution that can go to scale. With this some instances, more than 90 percent of beyond, we are urging partners to embrace in mind, The Ocean Project has been guests who were asked to participate signed the “together we can” approach and help supporting our aquarium and zoo partners’ up for the challenge, with overwhelmingly you leverage your facility’s own actions to interest in leading by example, highlighting positive feedback about having been asked inspire visitors to go green with you. To their own efforts to reduce their plastic use to do so. Through this pilot experiment, learn more, contact Jennifer Spring, The while inviting their millions of visitors to our partner zoos and aquariums discovered Ocean Project’s network coordinator, at do the same—using World Oceans Day as a several ways to boost response rates: [email protected] and check out rallying point. offering an incentive like a free bag to the “top 10 list” here: http://theoceanproject. Such efforts need not be complicated attract attention, connecting the action org/2015/11/10-ways-your-zoo-or-aquarium- nor expensive to produce results. For World to its impact on the animals, keeping the can-reduce-plastic-use/. Oceans Day 2015, The Ocean Project messaging simple and highlighting ways the teamed up with the Aquarium of the Bay, organization itself is “walking the talk.” Alexandra Thomsen in an intern John G. Shedd Aquarium, Vancouver The purpose of the Better Bag at The Ocean Project. Aquarium Marine Science Centre and Challenge for World Oceans Day is the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science not only to engage visitors on Center to promote the “Better Bag 8 June about plastic bag Challenge.” Work by the Riverbanks Zoo waste but also to & Garden under their Innovative Solutions inspire sustainable Grant+ project provided the inspiration for actions for the this pilot project, and similar experiments ocean every day were also carried out at the North throughout Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, Oregon the year. One Coast Aquarium, SEA LIFE Centers and way that zoos SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. and aquariums At participating sites, visitors were can, and are, offered a reusable shopping bag (production helping to cost of only $1 each) in exchange for taking sustain visitors’ the challenge and agreeing to complete a commitment to supporting short follow-up survey. Because each site ocean health is through came up with its own approach, we were leading by example, showing able to compare and contrast experiences visitors that their actions are to determine what practices work best. The part of a larger movement. positive results achieved reinforced a core To this end, The Ocean finding from The Ocean Project’s public Project has been working

8 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 9 Green Tales Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies Harnesses the Power of the Sun By Jay E. Bryan

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in renewable resources. The Aquarium is the is glad it can increase the amount of Gatlinburg, Tenn., added 3 sections of PV first and only commercial facility in the renewable energy available and reduce its solar panels that began producing renewable city of Gatlinburg to have solar panels. The environmental impact at the same time. energy in December of 2015. There is a 50 intention is for other local businesses and The Aquarium is fortunate that the kilowatt (kW) system on the main roof, and individuals to follow suit and become GPP location of the 2 smaller sections makes 2 smaller sections that comprise a separate to help lessen the community’s dependence them visible to everyone visiting or 13 kW system above the ticket booth and on fossil fuels for energy production. passing by the facility. The Aquarium’s trolley stop awning. The power generated The power produced by the 2 smaller mission is to provide a top quality, world from these 2 systems is distributed separately sections feeds power back into the class, marine life facility that fosters and utilized differently. Aquarium’s electrical panels instead of the environmental education, conservation The larger 50 kW system on the main grid to help reduce its overall consumption and research while simultaneously roof generates renewable energy that is sold and footprint. The Aquarium is one of the providing entertainment for visitors of to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) few producers in Tennessee allowed to all ages. The Aquarium’s ever deepening through their Green Power Providers utilize the power being generated onsite commitment to being better stewards of (GPP) program. Participants in this because its smaller system is not tied into the planet is now visible, literally, to all program provide supply for TVA’s voluntary the GPP program. Most participants in guests before they enter the facility. A new renewable energy purchasing program, the GPP program only produce energy web portal has been added so everyone Green Power Switch. TVA consumers sold as Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). can view the Aquarium’s real time have the option of purchasing renewable Because they produce energy sold as production and tracking. energy instead of, or in addition to, more RECs instead of utilizing it, they are traditional non-renewable forms of power. limited to what can be said in regards to Jay E. Bryan is the director of As a GPP participant, the Aquarium is reducing their footprint even though they maintenance and engineering for a proud supporter of locally-generated, produce renewable energy. The Aquarium Ripley’s Attractions Tennessee.

10 www.aza.org | June 2016 Conservation Grants Fund suitable individuals. Another major aspect of their work is environmental education, which includes engaging the public and school Building Public Support groups that visit the sanctuary, as well as through in-class programs. One objective of our project was for Bornean Sun to evaluate the sanctuary’s interpretive materials. As such, we developed a Bear Conservation quantitative, pre/post-visit questionnaire that was administered to 500 visitors to By David O’Connor, M.Sc. the BSBCC sanctuary in the spring of 2015. This survey measured the impacts that the signage, exhibits and the bears themselves had on people’s knowledge, attitudes and beliefs. Following statistical analyses on the data, we found no significant differences between the pre/post results. This indicates that visiting and being exposed to the BSBCC sanctuary didn’t impact people’s knowledge and attitudes about bears and conservation. As this was a preliminary study, there could be several possible reasons to explain why no differences were found. Perhaps visitors to the sanctuary were already aware and informed about bear conservation prior to visiting the Centre. Or, perhaps the survey instrument itself asked questions that were too general to pick up what people learned during their visit. Another explanation is that visitors didn’t read signs or pay attention to the outreach at BSBCC, or that the educational messages failed to The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is the Humans are the most important reach or resonate with them. smallest bear, but they’re as full of life as the and complex species we work with in More research is needed to support tropical forests they inhabit, equally happy conservation. Initiatives that address BSBCC and to refine and develop more foraging on the ground or in trees for fruits the human dimensions of conservation effective outreach. But generally speaking, and insects. This makes it all the more tragic and seek to understand, measure and these findings underscore the value of when you see a sun bear in a wire snare with ultimately change people’s behaviors are monitoring and evaluating outreach its gallbladder and paws removed, or an a key aspect of sustainable conservation, programs, conservation education orphaned cub destined for the pet trade. especially when wildlife trade threatens messaging and exhibit design in zoo, Both bear species in Southeast Asia a species. With support from the aquarium and sanctuary settings, to ensure are in trouble. Sun bear and Asiatic black Association of Zoos and Aquariums that the key conservation messages are bear (Ursus thibetanus) populations have (AZA) Conservation Grants Fund (CGF), being communicated effectively. Effective decreased by between 30-50 percent over and the San Diego Zoo Institute for messaging and programs that change the past 30 years and are currently listed as Conservation Research (ICR), San Diego people’s attitudes and behaviors are a Vulnerable by the International Union for Zoo sun bear keepers recently collaborated foundation for successful conservation, and Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The causes with the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation in this case, for sustainable co-existence for this dramatic decline are the coupled Centre (BSBCC) in Sepilok, Malaysian between people and sun bears in Borneo. effects of habitat loss—especially to palm oil Borneo, on preliminary research plantations in Borneo—and overexploitation addressing this topic. David O’Connor, M.Sc., is a community- from illegal poaching for trade in bear BSBCC is a forest sanctuary that currently based conservation ecologist for bile and bear parts. All of these threats are provides a home and care for 36 rescued the San Diego Zoo Institute for human-caused. bears, with the ultimate goal of releasing Conservation Research.

10 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 11 Animal Health Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Contributes to The Great Ape Heart Project The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in learned during gorilla and bonobo cardiac pipes with caps during the initial training Jacksonville, Fla., along with many other exams performed under anesthesia. Lash, a process. This familiarizes the animals with facilities, participates in the Great Ape western lowland gorilla, and Akili, a bonobo, the sensation of the probe and gels used Heart Project. are currently treated for cardiac disease and during the ultrasounds. Some of the apes Just like their human counterparts, heart are carefully monitored for progress. at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens aren’t a disease is a concern in the four species of great According to Tracy Fenn, supervisor of fan of the gel and instead prefer a substitute apes in human care: western lowland gorillas, mammals at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, like yogurt, smashed banana or applesauce orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos. “Most of our apes are trained for ‘awake’ because they can have a snack afterward. The project collects and stores ultrasounds, and new equipment will allow Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ information in a centralized database, us to start getting quality images helping participation in the Great Ape Heart Project allowing veterinarians and other zoo us detect and monitor heart disease.” not only helps the apes living at the Zoo lead professionals to analyze heart data and Early detection is crucial for treating heart healthy lives, but the information collected improve communication and knowledge disease in apes, and awake and cooperative during the ultrasounds helps detect and treat among zoos, research facilities and ultrasounds with each animal are a valuable early signs of heart disease in other apes, sanctuaries with apes. tool in helping to detect those early signs of leading to longer, healthier lives. Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has heart problems. You can find more information participated in the Great Ape Heart Project Because ultrasound probes are costly, on the Great Ape Heart Project at for several years, contributing information ape trainers use similarly-sized PVC www.greatapeheartproject.org.

12 www.aza.org | June 2016 Did You See?

The nose knows! Scientists are sniffing out how endangered bluefin tuna navigate across ocean basins. The tuna may be detecting the Earth’s magnetic field with mighty magnetite min- eral crystals in their nostrils! http://mbayaq.co/1ZI5K2Q © Toledo Zoo © Toledo

Award -Monterey Bay Aquarium Short Film by Toledo Zoo Staff Facebook Page If you want to see first- Members Wins Film Festival hand the excitement Alex Goetz, videographer at the Toledo It also serves a thank you to those who and growth that animal Zoo in Toledo, Ohio, and Justin Grubb, inspire the two men to tell their stories biologist at the Zoo, can now both add as filmmakers. encounters can inspire, “award-winning filmmaker” to their resumés. The film follows Goetz and Grubb’s there’s no better place Goetz and Grubb’s film, “To the Explorers,” wildlife and conservation expeditions took top honors at the Nat Geo WILD around the globe, from work with turtles than Lincoln Park Zoo’s TO INSPIRE short film competition in and snakes in Central America and Aruba Science Celebration. partnership with the Sun Valley Film Festival. to documenting the spread of Devil Facial According to the National Geographic Tumour Disease in Tasmanian devil This annual event fea- Channel, participants in the third annual populations in Tasmania and the relocation short film competition were asked to of birds in the Mariana Islands. The film’s tures top projects from submit a short film that captured stories voiceover was scripted by Toledo Zoo participants in Lincoln of individuals letting the wild into their social media coordinator, Lucas Stall. own lives. Films were judged on the As finalists for the honor, Goetz and Park Zoo’s Young Re- connection to the theme, quality of the Grubb attended the Film Festival in searchers Collaborative. storyline and script, creativity, originality, Ketchum, Idaho, from 2 to 5 March. Their -Lincoln Park Zoo Facebook Page production quality and editing. As Goetz film was announced as the winner out of and Grubb stated in their submission four finalists selected from more than 350 information, they are filmmakers who entries at an awards ceremony on 5 March. focus on telling the stories of conservation This was Goetz and Grubb’s second time as and wildlife around the world in an effort finalists and their first win. to raise awareness of the issues that affect “As soon as we won, we lost all train of our planet. They went on to say that thought and totally geeked out! To think that “To the Explorers” is an ode to all the Nat Geo—that does incredibly impactful adventurers, explorers and conservationists pieces—thought enough of our film seemed who dedicate everything they have to crazy but at the same time was such a huge conservation, wildlife and the outdoors. honor,” said Goetz.

12 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 13 his life working with and promoting the conservation efforts of crocodilians like the Tomistoma. The animals were flown into the United States from Malaysia, accompanied by Virginia Aquarium’s Senior Curator of Mammals and Herpetology, Chip Harshaw. They arrived in Virginia Beach nearly 50 hours later, where they completed a thorough medical evaluation before being moved into the Aquarium’s Tomistoma habitat within the Restless Planet gallery. “These are a very unusual and rare species of crocodilian. This accomplishment is a testament to the Virginia Aquarium’s persistence and commitment to their conservation, and is also a reflection of the trust that has developed between the Virginia Aquarium, the worldwide crocodilian community and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) after years of work on behalf of Tomistoma,” stated Harshaw. Of the 23 different species of crocodilians, Tomistoma are one of the least studied due to their remote and inaccessible habitat. Some estimates indicate only 2,500 remaining in the wild. Tomistoma inhabit freshwater lakes, rivers and swamps of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species™ according to © Virginia Aquarium © Virginia the USFWS due to habitat destruction, Sustainable Populations drowning in fishing nets, overfishing of food resources and, to a limited extent, the skin trade. “The Virginia Aquarium employs two Virginia Aquarium Crosses Tomistoma conservation experts: Harshaw and Director of Conservation and Research Borders for Newest Animals Mark Swingle. Their efforts to conserve this species are to be commended,” said Director On a clear Halloween night in 2015, the increase the dwindling breeding population of Live Exhibits, Rachel Metz. “We are also Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center of this species in North America, the proud to be recognized for our work within in Virginia Beach, Va., was awash with Aquarium successfully accomplished the Tomistoma Task Force, an international activity. No, there were no trick-or-treaters the first permitted import of a pair of coalition dedicated to protecting this visiting, nor was there a special event. On Tomistoma from a range country since 1974. endangered species.” this night, the big treat was the arrival of Upon their arrival, these two animals The Virginia Aquarium & Marine a pair of endangered Tomistoma (false became one of only six breeding pairs of Science Center has an extensive history of gharial) crocodiles. These animals were born Tomistoma in North America. The female, field and conservation research with these on a Malaysian crocodile farm and were named Sommer, is 10 years old, 8 feet long animals. The Aquarium is a participating imported in to the United States after years and 112 pounds. The male, Ralf, is 9 years member of the IUCN Species Survival of intense work. old, 7 feet long and weighs 65 pounds. They Commision Crocodilian Specialist Group In an effort to further the Virginia are named in honor of Ralf Sommerlad, a and was recently honored by CrocFest with Aquarium’s ongoing commitment to the German crocodilian specialist who passed the inaugural Ralf Sommerlad Crocodile conservation of Tomistoma and to help away in 2015. Sommerlad spent much of Conservation Award.

14 www.aza.org | June 2016 Workshop Virginia Zoo Implements Zookeeper Training Workshops in the Philippines By Roger Sweeney

During the last week of February 2016, Several other important a technical team from Virginia Zoo in endemic species kept Norfolk, Va., visited the province of Negros in regional collections Occidental in the Philippines to implement include Philippine spotted a five-day series of zookeeper training deer, Visayan hornbill and workshops on wildlife management. These Philippine hawk-eagle; workshops were developed to help build the and Vulnerable listed capacity of animal care professionals and species, including the provincial veterinarians in the region, who Visayan leopard cat and are involved in caring for some of the most Philippine eagle-owl. endangered wildlife species in the world. The workshops The Zoo received an International Training combined a series of Grant awarded from the World Association morning classroom of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in 2015 to training sessions with help fund the work, along with support from afternoon practical the Virginia Zoological Society. Three staff training sessions members from Virginia Zoo developed the held at the wildlife workshops in collaboration with staff from center facilities of the the main Philippine partner organization, Biodiversity Conservation the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Center. Classroom Foundation. The Virginia Zoo team consisted session subject material of Roger Sweeney, assistant director at the included animal restraint Zoo, along with veterinarian Dr. Amanda and handling, record Guthrie, and zookeeper Chelsea Hohlweg. keeping, nutrition and The workshops were held in Bacolod food handling, preventive City, Negros Occidental, hosted by local health, enrichment partners representing the Philippine and training, exhibit Department of Natural Resources, Provincial design, zoonotic disease, Government of Negros Occidental, Negros wildlife rescue and Forest and Ecological Foundation, Inc., rehabilitation, facility as well as the Philippine Biodiversity safety and contingency Conservation Foundation. The western planning. There was Visayas region of the Philippines has some also a facilitator-led of the world’s most unique and endangered morning session for wildlife. Workshop participants included each participating animal care staff from several regional zoos institution to develop and wildlife care and rehabilitation centers. a needs assessment for In addition, several regional veterinary their facility followed officers participated to learn more about by group discussions on regional synergy workshops were successfully completed on how to deal with wildlife management and development opportunities, as well 26 February, and we will be continuing to issues and care of injured animals that they as a grant planning session. Afternoon work with local partners to follow up on the might encounter. A number of important practical sessions focused mainly on development plans formulated, as well as wildlife species are cared for by participants enrichment, nutrition and food handling, other conservation projects in the region. including the critically endangered with facilitators also available to work on a endemics: Visayan warty pig, rufous-headed one-on-one basis with participants on any Roger Sweeney is the assistant director hornbill and Negros bleeding-heart dove. subject they wanted to further discuss. The at the Virginia Zoo.

14 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 15 Research populations of an Australian amphibian, the speculate that high water temperatures alpine tree frog (Litoria verreauxii alpina), with (>28°C) experienced by tadpoles and juveniles, How Do Amphibian high chytrid presence and heavy infection compared to the low temperatures experienced Populations Coexist With levels. Annual adult survival was very low (4 by adults (<20°C), may limit infections. Chytrid Fungus? percent). However, adults successfully breed prior to infection, which occurs during the Scheele, BC, Hunter, DA, Skerratt, LF, Infection by chytrid fungus has been linked breeding season. In contrast to adults, tadpoles Brannelly, LA, Driscoll, DA. 2015. Low to amphibian declines around the world and (2.5 percent) and juveniles (17 percent) have impact of chytridiomycosis on frog is implicated in more than 100 extinctions. very low rates of infection, which suggests that recruitment enables persistence in However, many infected species survive as recruitment into the adult stage is relatively refuges despite high adult mortality. small remnants, and it is unclear how this high. High tadpole and juvenile survival Biological Conservation 182: 36-43. persistence is achieved. This study examines coupled with adult breeding prior to infection Correspondence to Ben C. Scheele at some survival hypotheses for several facilitates population persistence. The authors [email protected].

Aquarium Settings Can Increase Human Welfare Assessments for Cetaceans Well-being and Promote Conservation Cetaceans have been in managed care for more than 150 years. This study represents the first effort to develop assessment measures to quantify the welfare of bottlenose dolphins in managed care, with an emphasis on animal-based measures. This has the potential to contribute to a better understanding of cetacean health, care and management. The assessment created as part of this study, the “Cetacean Welfare Assessment” or “C-Well®,” was developed at three semi-open, seawater facilities using data from 20 bottlenose dolphins. The basis for this assessment was the Welfare Quality® framework developed for farm animal welfare and included the four principles and 11 of the 12 criteria. The 12th criteria, “positive emotional states,” was omitted due to a lack of data available on emotional states in cetaceans. This resulted in 36 welfare measures meant to assess feeding, housing, health and behavior. Exposure to natural environments can calm suggest that aquarium environments can Redundancy was intentional to ensure that and reduce stress in humans, with greater connect people to marine flora and fauna, if one measure did not detect a welfare issue, impacts in areas that are high in species and encourage conservation efforts. it could be identified in other measures. richness. A study at the United Kingdom’s This assessment technique was designed National Marine Aquarium looked at people’s Cracknell, D., White, M. P., Pahl, to be practical and can be fully executed behavioral, physiological and psychological S., Nichols, W. J., and Depledge, over the course of two days for up to 10 reactions to different levels of marine biota M. H. 2015. Marine biota and dolphins. C-Well® includes an instructional (plant and animal life in a particular region). psychological well-being: A preliminary handbook with video and photo references They found that increased biota levels were examination of dose–response for simple application. The authors do linked with visitors’ longer viewing of the effects in an aquarium setting. recommend that any initial assessment be exhibit, greater drop in heart rate, greater Environment and Behavior, 1–28, conducted by a trained individual. Several increases in self-reported mood and higher DOI: 10.1177/0013916515597512. limitations were identified, including interest. Higher biota levels, even in managed Correspondence to Deborah Cracknell applicability to very young and geriatric settings, may be linked with well-being and at deborah.cracknell@national- individuals. Additionally, the measures health benefits for visitors. The authors also aquarium.co.uk. are not weighted, hence potential welfare concerns that may be more detrimental do

16 www.aza.org | June 2016 not impact the overall assessment differently than those that may be less problematic. The C-Well® assessment represents the first systematic effort to produce a standardized tool for welfare assessment of dolphins in managed care.

Clegg, ILK, Borger-Turner, JL, Eskelinen, HC. 2015. C-Well: The development of a welfare assessment index for captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Animal Welfare, 24: 267- 282. Correspondence to Isabella Clegg at [email protected].

Peer-to-Peer Online Fundraising There is much evidence that online Research fundraising is cost effective. Friends asking friends to donate may increase the probability of a gift by as much as 10 times Lincoln Park Zoo’s Urban over other methods. This study evaluates the costs and benefits of a friends-asking- friends fundraising experiment using Wildlife Institute Expands social media. Individuals who made a donation online were asked to either post across the Midwest that information on Facebook or to send a private message to a friend via Facebook. On our urbanizing planet, it is increasingly which will help everyone better understand As an incentive to post or send a message, crucial for humans to understand the wildlife wildlife and, subsequently, mitigate conflict a donation of $0, $1, or $5 was made in counterparts that share their environment. between humans and animals.” the poster/messager’s name. Without any So is the belief of Lincoln Park Zoo’s Urban The launch of UWIN also enhances the incentive, 4.4 percent of donors posted, Wildlife Institute in Chicago, Ill., which has world’s largest urban wildlife dataset, which but with incentives of $1 and $5, the expanded its research from the Chicago is analyzed by the Urban Wildlife Institute frequency of posts rose to 12.6 percent and area to Madison, Wisc., and Indianapolis, in Chicago. In 2014, the Urban Wildlife 16.9 percent, respectively. Donors who Ind., in a new initiative, the Urban Wildlife Institute, along with Adler Planetarium, are already logged in to Facebook are more Information Network (UWIN). established Chicago Wildlife Watch, an likely to post/send than those who are not; For the past five years, the Urban online platform for citizen scientists to help for either posting or sending and a $1 or $5 Wildlife Institute has been undertaking a analyze this dataset and provide animal incentive, 24-37 percent of donors already groundbreaking study of Chicago’s urban classifications. logged in to Facebook ask peers to donate. ecosystem, using camera traps and acoustic “We have gathered over a million camera The posts and private messages provided a monitors to track the behavior of bats, birds, trap photos in Chicagoland and continue unique link for making a donation to the coyotes and even humans. Now, the Zoo has to gather data through quarterly fieldwork peer-to-peer ask. Tracking responses to joined in partnership with the University of and camera installations,” said Magle. “In the those links revealed a small but significant Wisconsin-Madison and Butler University coming years, the hope would be to expand increase in the number of donations from in Indianapolis to expand urban wildlife the citizen science project to include all urban wall posts (1.89 percent asks); there were no research across the Midwest. field sites in the Urban Wildlife Information donations resulting from private messages. “The Urban Wildlife Information Network and empower everyone to help Network and these new camera-trap sites evaluate their own environments and those Castillo, M, Petrie, R, Wardell, C. 2014. will provide a wealth of knowledge about not across the United States.” Fundraising through online social only wildlife but the ecosystem as a whole,” For more information on the Urban networks: a field experiment on peer- said Lincoln Park Zoo Urban Wildlife Wildlife Institute or Urban Wildlife to-peer solicitation. Journal of Public Institute Director Dr. Seth Magle. “We’re Information Network, visit www.lpzoo.org Economics 114: 29-35. Correspondence grateful to the University of Wisconsin or join in the citizen science project at www. to Ragan Petrie at [email protected]. and Butler University for this vital support, chicagowildlifewatch.org.

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18 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 19 BY KATIE MORELL

20 www.aza.org | June 2016 BY KATIE MORELL

20 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 21 he aquatic animal chain showcasing fish “develop, implement and of custody—or how maintain an Aquatic Invertebrate & Fish public aquariums and hobbyists acquire Collection Plan that assists curators in fish—is a complicated topic. Overfishing, continuing to advance fish survivability illegal capturing practices, animals infected and in making the most appropriate with diseases and poor working conditions acquisition decisions possible...” for those doing the fishing all raise concerns The concept of sustainable fish about how animals are collected. Aware collection sounds like it could be of the issue, Association of Zoos and straightforward with aquariums and pet Aquariums (AZA)-accredited facilities stores making sure to obtain animals from are working to source fish from the most transparent suppliers. Or, in the cases they sustainable and transparent suppliers. cannot, these facilities might be able to In January 2016, the AZA Board breed the animals independently. But the of Directors approved a position reality is far more complicated. statement and supporting white paper When using suppliers, aquariums might titled “Sustainability Considerations for engage one commercial entity that then Developing an Aquatic Invertebrate & engages another and another. When a fish Fish Collection Plan.” Years in the making, arrives, it could have gone through a long the paper explains the AZA’s position line of custodians, some of which didn’t statement that all member facilities treat it properly. This isn’t the case for all fish

22 www.aza.org | June 2016 Kole tang

collection; there are sustainable suppliers changing the industry for the better. On the breeding front, marine (saltwater) fishes can be difficult to breed and if breeding The perception was that is possible, the loss of legal, sustainable trade can effects can inflict socioeconomic fish species were abundant and damage to the local people who previously relied on the trade to earn a living. since fishing was localized, it was

Historical Perspective thought that collection would It was in the late 1970s/early 80s when the concept of both home and public aquariums have a minimal impact ... became mainstream. “If you were an up-and-coming or aware of industry concerns about how fish considered a major city, you had to have an were collected and handled. Research was aquarium,” said Beth Firchau, director of showing the catastrophic effects of cyanide husbandry at the Audubon Aquarium of the and dynamite fishing on reefs and fish Americas in New Orleans, La. populations. Still, chain of custody and Firchau entered the zoological collection sustainability wasn’t a commonly community in the early 1990s and became discussed topic. The issue was approached

22 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 23 Barracuda

The local people saw fish as so important that they not only protected the target fish species but also understood the need to maintain a healthy ecosystem for the fish to survive.

at the fisheries regulatory front, mandating fishing techniques and quotas, not realizing that the zoological community could play an important part in shaping the commercial fish trade by promoting an artisan approach to its acquisitions. By insisting on knowing who caught the fish and where they caught them, as well as, how they were caught and who handled them getting to your facility, the community could make a difference. “The perception was that fish species were abundant and since fishing was Zebra shark localized, it was thought that collection would have a minimal impact,” said Doug Warmolts, a 28-year veteran of the zoological community, who now works as vice president of animal care at the decisions that foster sustainable chain of Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, custody practices and ultimately will include Ohio. “Sustainability is a topic that the a list of approved suppliers. (See the “Beefing terrestrial side of the zoo world addressed Up Sustainability” sidebar to learn more long ago, but it is just in the last 10 to 15 about action items regarding sustainability.) years that sustainability became a major “The list wouldn’t be a certification, focus in the aquarium world.” per se, but an endorsement that says these suppliers meet our expectations and that we Positive Changes encourage members to use them if they are The AZA is working toward sustainable looking to acquire animals,” said Warmolts. and transparent practices around fish Dr. Dennis Thoney, former director collection. Its white paper is a culmination of animal operations at the Vancouver of years of research, conservation projects Aquarium in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, and discussions and addresses aquarium (he is retired as of this printing), said the breeding, commercial breeding and the list won’t be long, but that the AZA is acquisition of wild-sourced fishes. It ends working to gather a group of distributors with nine recommendations for making that ascribe to the concept of sustainability

24 www.aza.org | June 2016 and transparency. An author of the paper, Thoney saw challenges with the animal chain of custody at aquariums, and he started working on the paper in 2009. Firchau thinks the white paper will help pave the way to more sustainable practices across AZA-accredited facilities. “It directly addresses the need for transparency in supply chains and challenges us in the zoological community to walk the walk instead of just talking the talk, or checking a box,” she noted. Scott Dowd is another AZA member working on chain of custody issues. Senior aquarist at Boston’s New England Aquarium, he is also the executive director Whiptail stingray of Project Piaba, an initiative that advocates

24 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 25 Black backed butterflyfish

We see sustainable, legal for sustainable sourcing and connects consumers to a community based fishery wildlife trade that integrates the based in the Rio Negro tributary of the Amazon River. Dowd co-founded Project Piaba in the early 1990s after taking a trip care and sense of ownership from to the Amazon to observe communities that base their livelihoods on the export of the host resource communities as cardinal tetras, a small colorful fish, to the home aquarium industry. a critical means to accomplishing Dowd conducted research showing that cardinal tetras were in abundant supply conservation goals. (thanks to cyclical flood seasons), that the impact of fishing was benign and that the practice sustained life in the community. “If they accidentally caught an unintended species, they would release them unharmed,” he said, adding that meeting this community helped him understand the socioeconomic importance of the fishery. “The local people saw fish as so important that they

26 www.aza.org | June 2016 not only protected the target fish species but also understood the need to maintain a healthy ecosystem for the fish to survive. It was like we stumbled across the holy grail of sustainability.” Dowd went back to the U.S. and co- founded Project Piaba, spreading the word about the importance of sourcing fish from the community in the Amazon and thereby sustaining an entire community. “We try to promote and advocate for fisheries like this one,” he said. “We see sustainable, legal wildlife trade that integrates the care and sense of ownership from the host resource communities as a critical means to accomplishing conservation goals. We started organically and now about 10 AZA-accredited facilities have either completed Project Piaba exhibits or are in the build out phase now.” While efforts like AZA’s white paper and Project Piaba are steps in the right direction, it may take government intervention to ensure animals are collected in sustainable ways. “Control and regulation over how this is done may be inevitable,” Warmolts said. “I think our [AZA’s] vision is, rather than be told what to do, to proactively put ourselves Bigeye trevally in the position where we are doing the right thing already.”

26 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 27 Napoleon grouper

We are moving and gaining Forrest Young feels this challenge momentum. We now have a personally. He is director and founder of AZA commercial animal supplier member, structure in place, and I believe we Dynasty Marine Associates, Inc., a Florida- based supplier of fish to public aquariums, can do some good work. zoos and research facilities. Since founding his company in the early 1980s, he and the staff have prided themselves by delivering a sustainable and direct chain-of-custody Persistent Challenges display animal supply and today work Challenges remain; chief among them are the with numerous AZA, European Union budgets of facilities looking to acquire fish. of Aquarium Curators (EUAC), World “It is a hard decision for a curator Association of Zoos and Aquariums to make if you have a clear chain of (WAZA) and Japanese Association of Zoos custody from one supplier who charges and Aquariums (JAZA) member facilities. $3 per animal and another supplier that Money is always an issue from the charges $1.50, though you don’t know the supplier perspective, too; Dynasty’s background,” Firchau said. prices are known to be higher than all the

28 www.aza.org | June 2016 Beefing Up Sustainability

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) recently released a white paper titled “Sustainability Considerations for Developing an Aquatic Invertebrate & Fish Collection Plan” that offers nine recommended actions for every AZA- accredited facility. In abbreviated form, here is the list: 1. Foster relationships between zoos, aquariums and government Florida-based competition—and for a reason. entities toward the development of regulations that would “Our overhead is simply higher because we support sustainable acquisition of fishes and invertebrates. maintain a much higher standard of care, 2. Promote the practice of acquiring sustainably bred aquatic and much higher investment in the very invertebrates and fishes when available. best equipment. We follow a professional 3. Advance facility’s participation in AZA’s efforts to increase shark maintenance schedule on all that equipment so that we always deliver on time. We also breeding, as identified in the Marine Fish Taxon Advisory Group maintain a full professional and highly- (TAG) Regional Collection Plan. trained administrative staff to manage 4. Develop a criteria/process for evaluating collectors/suppliers logistics, personalized client service, plus who utilize sustainable practices. USDA supervision and AZA mandated record 5. Develop a process to measure the results and outcomes of fish keeping with a lengthy list of permits that take sustainability initiatives. a lot of effort to maintain. 6. Support in situ conservation efforts that advance wild acquisition “Further, all of our staff are paid practices. legitimately. We pay the FICA (social 7. Determine if it is a viable option for the facility to operate or security), Medicare and all the requisite collaborate with others who operate aquatic invertebrate or fish employment taxes. Everyone gets a W-2 at the extractive reserves. end of the year and all our service suppliers 8. Make sure fishes fed to the animals at the facility are acquired in receive a 1099 as well, as required by the IRS. We offer health insurance, paid vacations, a sustainable manner. a 401k that we match dollar per dollar and 9. Institutional commitment to in situ and ex situ objectives. profit sharing plans. Further, we pay for For more information, visit www.aza.org and www.projectpiaba.org. Workers’ Compensation and very expensive and highly specialized workplace insurance for our dive team.” He also said, “I have guys just down the street who employ people, pay them cash under the table with no benefits nor legally mandated workers’ comp.; or tax deductions and maintain little to no legitimate record keeping. “Animal and labor abuses can be rampant with suppliers who lack a clear chain of custody,” he said.

Looking Ahead Despite some of the challenges, Firchau is hopeful. “What we need now are people at every facility—from directors to entry-level aquarists—who not only talk about the volume of gallons exhibits will need but where to get the animals and then make conscious decisions to make sustainability and short supply chains a priority.” “We are moving and gaining momentum. We now have a structure in place, and I believe we can do some good work.”

Katie Morrell is a writer based in San Francisco, Calif.

28 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 29 30 www.aza.org | June 2016 © Paul Selvaggio, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Mike Brittsan thinks back to his teens, when he CORALS IN CRISIS was diving around Looe Key in the Florida Keys. “I remember elkhorn coral being everywhere BY KATE SILVER back in the early 1970s,” he said. Today, that’s all changed, according to Brittsan, who is chairman of SECORE (SExual COral REproduction) International, a nonprofit coral reef conservation organization, and director of aquatic sciences and the dive and safety officer at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio, where SECORE is based. “Now when I go down there, the coral is not there,” he said. Coral—elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) coral, in particular—has been decimated throughout the Caribbean in the last four decades. Both are listed as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and have suffered declines of more than 90 percent, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The decline began in the early 1980s afterDiadema antillarum—a long black spine sea urchin that eats algae off coral reefs—died off, due to a waterborne pathogen. In its absence, young coral struggled against the algae growth. Coupled with other stressors, including pollution, climate change, overfishing, hurricanes, disease and more, the impact has reverberated throughout the ocean and beyond. As coral reefs dwindle, the oceans lose diverse ecosystems that support thousands of species and provide food, shoreline protection, marine habitats and tourism and recreational opportunities throughout the year. Today, SECORE and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, in collaboration with facilities such as Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Ill., Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Neb., California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, Calif., and others, are working to better understand—and reverse—the decline in coral. Brittsan said that teamwork among the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) community is key to future success, as these facilities work to put more coral back in the ocean and help bolster reefs for future generations.

30 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 31 Most scientists have no idea how to keep these animals alive ... That’s where the aquarists come in. It’s an area where they excel.

Building Knowledge to advance coral conservation through their coral colonies for restoration. That, Coral can reproduce in two ways: asexual sexual reproduction. While scientists however, has its own limitations, said reproduction (a piece of broken coral may bring knowledge about reproduction Petersen. “All these fragments are genetically reattach to the reef and grow into a new and biology of coral, Petersen said they identical and are basically clones of the coral colony) and sexual reproduction tend to be lacking in one important area: donor colony, so they don’t contribute to (most coral are hermaphrodites and “Most scientists have no idea how to keep genetic diversity,” he said. Genetic diversity release their sperm and egg once a year). these animals alive,” said Bad Camberg, is important because it allows a species to When Dr. Dirk Petersen got the Germany-based Petersen, who is founder adapt to change. With the threats that coral idea for SECORE in 2002, while and executive director of SECORE. That’s is facing, that adaptation is imperative. researching coral at the Rotterdam Zoo where the aquarists come in. It’s an area In 2006, SECORE led a workshop in in Rotterdam, Netherlands, one of his where they excel. Puerto Rico with the goal of collecting goals was to bring both the scientific At that time, most groups had been spawn, fertilizing them and growing and aquarium communities together relying on asexual reproduction to grow coral in the labs of participating AZA- accredited facilities. Elkhorn coral is quite precise about when it spawns, and Denuded reef site at Curaçao; boulders that lay on the bottom are it only happens over a couple of nights remnants of elkhorn coral colonies that died in the late 1970s. each year—usually in early August, a few days after a full moon, between approximately 9:15 pm and 9:45 pm. A team of divers, coordinated by SECORE, planned accordingly. This was the first time that Mitch Carl, a SECORE member who sits on the organization’s Zoo and Aquarium Advisory Board and is curator of aquatics at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium had been involved in such a project, and he and the other attendees had a steep learning curve from the start. The first night out, Carl was with another diver when they saw just what they were looking for: an egg sitting on a

32 www.aza.org | June 2016 can see these pink little balls—you see Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium; Shedd them there on the polyp. And then they Aquarium; and the Pittsburgh Zoo & just release them kind of slowly, one by PPG Aquarium in Pittsburgh, Pa., began one,” he said. The divers were hoping to building a lab with a flow-through catch the eggs in a large funnel, which aquarium system at the Curaçao Sea was topped with a bottle. Carl said the Aquarium on Curaçao. conditions were challenging. The water After collecting the spawn and raising was only 10 or 15 feet deep, so the surge elkhorn corals in the lab for a year, the team was difficult to navigate—especially while planted the thumb-sized corals on a reef holding the large funnel and trying not in the Caribbean. Three years later, some to smash into the coral. “It was like you corals reached the size of a soccer ball, and, were controlling a giant wind sail in all the to the delight of researchers, spawned. current,” he said. By the end of the night, “This is a real milestone because they had collected about four eggs. nobody knew when this coral species The team regrouped. They decided would reach maturity,” said Petersen. the funnels were too unwieldy, and they It’s the first time a critically threatened, needed something akin to a net. With no lab-bred coral has sexually reproduced aquaculture stores in sight, and no access in the wild. The next step, said Petersen, to any kind of mesh netting, they had to is to apply the findings on a larger scale be creative. “We used ladies’ slips and coat in Curaçao, Mexico and other places hangers,” said Carl. “We made butterfly throughout the Caribbean. nets out of that.” One of the challenges coral faces Over the next two nights, the egg when it comes to spawning is reaching release came more quickly. “During a big other colonies in order to reproduce. If spawn, they do start out slowly, but each the sperm and egg from the same colony colony can have hundreds of thousands unite, nothing will happen. The sperm of eggs (or more), and once they start from one colony needs to reach the egg to release them, it quickly becomes an of a different colony to fertilize. Because underwater blizzard,” said Carl. Using coral populations have diminished, the their makeshift nets, they caught nearly colonies are now spaced so far apart that 1 million egg bundles, which consist of the sperm from one colony might not find 5 to 15 eggs wrapped in sperm. They the egg from another, said Brittsan. By took the egg bundles back to shore and adding more coral to the mix, the odds of shook them gently to help break up the successful reproduction increase. “We’re bundles. Then, they placed the eggs from trying to bridge that gap by putting corals different coral colonies in the same cooler, in between.” diversifying the genetic makeup, and the To that end, asexual reproduction is sperm fertilized the eggs. The SECORE another important part of the restoration team cared for the gametes 24 hours a day, puzzle. Andrew Stamper, science and, in time, representatives from different operations manager/clinical veterinarian aquariums took them home to care for at Disney’s Animals, Science and them in Omaha, Chicago, Columbus and Environment in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., has other zoos and aquariums. Some of the been doing just that—growing staghorn coral are still around at AZA-accredited and elkhorn coral in nurseries and then facilities today. “We were extremely transplanting them to reefs at Disney’s successful,” said Carl. Castaway Cay, located in the southern That workshop informed future Great Abaco of The Bahamas. Disney SECORE workshops, which have taken recently announced a new initiative called place in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Guam Reverse the Decline to focus on advancing and Curaçao. collaborative and strategic conservation efforts to benefit wildlife, including coral Building Reefs reefs in The Bahamas. Disney will direct In 2010, SECORE, along with the Carmabi funding through the Disney Conservation Marine Research Station in Curaçao; the Fund and engage the expertise of its Columbus Zoo and Aquarium; Omaha’s teams to support research, conservation,

32 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 33 When I see us putting these corals back and I see them growing to a soccer ball size, it makes me feel good ... maybe by the time I’m 80, if I’m still diving, I’ll see some cool coral reefs come back.

restoration and education to address the Disney’s coral restoration work will, threats facing coral. Stamper said the goal is ultimately, help to complement the work to provide a framework and momentum to that SECORE is doing with sexual coral encourage others to get involved to make a reproduction. By establishing more reefs, difference for marine life and people in The more sexual reproduction will hopefully Bahamas. To date, the project has brought occur in the wild, helping to reverse the together about 30 institutions—including decline of coral reefs. several AZA-accredited facilities—to work Of course, the success of coral throughout The Bahamas. restoration relies on more than sexual Stamper said that the coral Disney has and asexual reproduction. A number of transplanted has been resilient, despite the other factors must be addressed in order of coral solution. “What we don’t want fact that other coral nearby underwent a for coral colonies to thrive once again people to think is, ‘Oh there’s a problem; massive bleaching recently. Coral bleaching in the wild. Pollution, climate change, you just grow some [coral] out, throw occurs when stressed corals react to overfishing—the same things that have ‘em out there, and they’ll be fine,” he higher ocean temperatures, expelling the threatened coral for decades—are all still said. “Well, you have to have the right zooaxanthellae—photosynthetic algae— issues. Mark Schick, collection manager habitat. You can’t take a coral and stick that grow in them and provide them with of special exhibits at Shedd Aquarium it in a forest and say it’s going to grow. If color, as well as food. “The corals that we has worked on coral conservation it’s full of pollution and improper fishing put out on that reef actually did fantastic, with SECORE for years and said he’s techniques are being used, or people where the others were not doing so well,” optimistic about the future but is are just walking on the reef, you can’t said Stamper. He’s continuing to study why. cautious about oversimplifying any kind just regrow it.” Schick said that AZA-

34 www.aza.org | June 2016 Pollution, climate change and overfishing still threaten corals.

© Paul Selvaggio, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium accredited zoos and aquariums have a “When I see us putting these corals powerful platform to educate people on back and I see them growing to a soccer the threats to coral in hopes of making a ball size, it makes me feel good. And difference before it’s too late. then they spawn, and it makes me feel And there’s reason to be hopeful. even better because that’s happening,” SECORE’s success, so far, is inspiring to said Brittsan. “And I feel like maybe by divers like Brittsan. While he may never the time I’m 80, if I’m still diving, I’ll see see the types of coral forests he saw off the some cool coral reefs come back.” coast of Florida in the 1970s, he remains optimistic that he’ll see a difference in the Kate Silver is a writer based next 20 or so years. in Chicago, Ill.

34 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 35 A New

of BY TOM NAIMAN AND NICOLE ROSENFELD

36 www.aza.org | June 2016 The Maritime Aquarium sits on the edge of the Long Island Sound in Norwalk Harbor, and a vital part of its mission is to reveal the unseen wonders in its backyard to Aquarium guests and coastal communities. Since last June, the Aquarium has had a powerful new tool in its efforts to expose and study the life of the Sound —the first research vessel in the country that runs on hybrid-electric power, serving as a one-of-a- kind floating classroom and scientific platform.

Photos: Long Island Sound © Eric Foltz, istockphoto.com 36 www.aza.org | June 2016 Maritime Aquarium’s research vessel © The Maritime Aquarium ccording to latest census data, more than 23 million people live within 50 miles of Long Island Sound. Contrary to what many members of this constituency believe, the Sound is much more than an urban backwater or a site for recreational boating. In fact, this wedge of protected saltwater nestled between Long Island and coastal Connecticut is a vibrant natural habitat, home to sharks, squid, ospreys, bald eagles, the occasional sea turtle or pod of dolphins, a sustainable shellfish industry and, last summer, three juvenile humpback whales. The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Conn., sits on the edge of the Sound in Norwalk Harbor, and a vital part of its mission is to reveal the unseen wonders in its backyard to Aquarium guests and coastal communities. But the Sound education the Aquarium provides is not confined to the footprint of its building. Since last June, the Aquarium has had a powerful new tool in its efforts to expose and study the life of the Sound—the first research vessel in the country that runs on hybrid electric power, serving as a one-of-a-kind floating classroom and scientific platform. Dubbed R/V Spirit of the Sound in a naming contest won by a local high school student, the $2.7 million privately-funded vessel is quietly revolutionizing the Aquarium’s ability to explore the hidden wonders of the Sound. “Long Island Sound is such an underappreciated body of water,” said the Aquarium’s new President, Brian Davis. “To have one of the most innovative spacious back deck accommodates 40 or vessels on North American waters at the Aquarium makes possible completely more passengers, who can line up to help new avenues of education, exploration and research. In short, Spirit of the crew haul in trawl nets and then examine Sound enables us to play a significant role in marine conservation and to share their catch in a 4-foot by 6-foot touch tank, that work with our public.” triple the volume of the one on the former Spirit of the Sound is a sleek 64-foot aluminum catamaran able to vessel. The deck is also equipped with an accommodate 65 passengers. What makes the vessel so unique is its technology: A-frame, dive platforms and an electric variable speed generators charge lithium-ion batteries, which power the vessel winch used to deploy heavy sampling gear. and its propulsion systems. This technology results in significantly less diesel The cabin is climate-controlled and has consumption and lower carbon emissions: 2.4 gallons of fuel used per hour of two workstations. A large flat screen TV operation, compared to upwards of 20 gallons per hour in a similar-sized diesel- connected to a light microscope allows powered vessel. Another advantage is that the hybrid system affords quieter educators to magnify plankton samples and voyages due to the lack of engine noise. share them with passengers. The vessel’s “The proven technology of the vessel allows us to provide a more enjoyable upper deck provides fantastic 360-degree atmosphere for educating guests and working with researchers,” said Travis sightlines, which have enabled new seal Mingo, associate director of vessel operations, who recently joined the spotting, birding and lighthouse cruises for Aquarium after a 25-year career in the United States Coast Guard. the general public. And the classroom can Despite the fact that The Maritime Aquarium has been offering boat- be converted to a lounge setting, allowing based education programs for its entire 27-year history, Spirit of the Sound the Aquarium to supplement its revenue has quickly and dramatically enhanced educational offerings on the water. A with charters serving food and beverages.

38 www.aza.org | June 2016 “Long Island Sound is such an underappreciated body of water ... To have one of the most innovative vessels on North American waters at the Aquarium makes possible completely new avenues of education, exploration and research. “

38 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 39 ur new vessel allows us to use everything Long Island Sound has to offer to provide opportunities for experiential learning ...”

Database, with records going back to 1996. Other ongoing research projects involving the vessel include Project Limulus, a collaborative horseshoe crab research project between Sacred Heart University and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, screening for harmful algal blooms as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Phytoplankton Monitoring Network, and maintaining observation buoys and settling plates for the University of Connecticut. Future research endeavors may include acoustic monitoring, fisheries surveys and expanded water quality and plankton monitoring.

© The © The Maritime Aquarium At a time when people are spending less time outdoors than ever before, Maritime Aquarium staff hope that bringing guests For school groups, Spirit of the Sound has ushered in an exciting new suite and student groups directly into the habitat of programs. Linked to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics that is the focus of the Aquarium’s mission (STEM) standards is Research Vessel Navigation, for grades 5 through 8, in and to experience local wildlife firsthand which real-time navigation images from the helm are streamed to the flat will strengthen the public’s connection to screen TV. Educators also broadcast footage from a remotely operated vehicle the Sound and inspire a greater appreciation (ROV) they drop over the side and allow students to steer in search of spider of this U.S. Environmental Protection crabs, oysters and other denizens of the sea floor. A new shipwreck program Agency-designated “Estuary of National utilizing the ROV is also in the works. Among the most anticipated programs Significance.” Perhaps most important, are two designed to provide real-world science experiences to high school Spirit of the Sound helps the Aquarium lead students. One of them, a new Environmental Studies Cruise, is intended by example, as this innovative catamaran to support the curriculum for Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental plies the waters between Connecticut and Science, which is the fastest growing AP course in the nation and the only one New York more quietly and more cleanly requiring a fieldwork component. than any other motorized vessel of its size. “Our new vessel allows us to use everything Long Island Sound has to offer to provide opportunities for experiential learning,” said Senior Educator and Tom Naiman is the director of crewmember, Sarah Nahabedian. “Students help us pull horseshoe crabs from education and volunteers at The the depths, participate in measuring and tagging them and then release them Maritime Aquarium. back into the water. For a few hours, they really do become scientists working in Nicole Rosenfeld is the education a research setting that is truly state-of-the-art.” supervisor of vessel programs, whole During virtually all cruises, passengers and crew collect data that include school partnerships and teacher water quality, weather observations and catches from bio-dredge, plankton and professional development at The trawl nets. All these data are entered into The Maritime Aquarium Biodiversity Maritime Aquarium.

40 www.aza.org | June 2016 Future research endeavors for Spirit of the Sound may include fisheries surveys, acoustic, water quality and plankton monitoring. © The © The Maritime Aquarium © The © The Maritime Aquarium

40 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 41 At the National Aquarium, Creating Accessible Environments Inspires Conservation in Everyone

BY JENNY HAMILTON © Aquarium National

42 www.aza.org | June 2016 42 www.aza.org | June 2016 he firm bell of a moon jelly. The muscular wing of an Atlantic stingray. Egg cases, sand dollars and horseshoe crabs in an interactive “slice of the beach” wall.

Tactile discovery is everywhere in Living because of the aging population, greater Seashore, the newest touchpool exhibit longevity, an increase in veterans with at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, service-related disabilities and more Md. But discovery also occurs through effective treatment of learning disabilities immersive lighting effects for those who and mental disease. explore the world through sight, not sound; On top of the moral, social and legal through model representations of live needs for accessibility, it also makes good animals for those who need more sensory business sense. People with disabilities stimulation than gentle touch allows; and have an estimated $220 billion in by providing space for seated guests next to discretionary income, more than the steps built for non-seated guests. highly sought-after teen market. Baby These design features may not boomers—approximately 25 percent stand out as intentional, but in fact this of the U.S. population—control more environment was created with everyone than three-quarters of America’s wealth, in mind. according to the International Council of “As a public institution, the National Shopping Centers. And as this generation Aquarium plays an essential role in grows into diminished eyesight, hearing, creating inclusive environments,” said mobility and cognition, Association of National Aquarium Exhibit Developer Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited and Writer Anna Simmons. “Universal facilities should be focusing on how they design was a guiding principle can continue to welcome them. throughout the design process. Our goal “Audiences are changing in many was to design a welcoming environment ways,” said National Aquarium Executive that is usable by everyone with the least Vice President and Chief Operating amount of adaptation.” Officer Dale Schmidt. “As we plan for the Accessibility features are often future and aim to maintain relevancy, integrated as clumsy add-ons in later we must be innovative within our built stages of development in order to environment, communications and comply with Americans with Disabilities programs, thus ensuring our story of Act (ADA) requirements. Prioritizing aquatic conservation will reach the widest accessibility, as in the case of Living audience possible.” Seashore, requires an organization-wide Thinking about accessibility as understanding of its importance. something more than building code or In 2010, 56.7 million Americans, Braille signage on the restroom door or 18.7 percent of the population, had raises the question: Where is the bar set? some level of disability, according to the There is no exhaustive list for accessibility. U.S. Census Bureau. Both the number Organizations are never finished and percentage of disabled Americans improving; they can always do better, and

are expected to increase in coming years new solutions are being discovered daily. © Aquarium National

44 www.aza.org | June 2016 Tactile discovery is an important part of the Living Seas at the National Aquarium.

44 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 45 National Aquarium staff have a stash of tactile models so guests can explore texture, “AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums scale and other should consider accessibility as sensory elements. a customer-service issue and an may not be convenient for someone’s organizational asset that will attract schedule. Services, aids or tools should be available every day and be able to be new audiences, retain existing ones found and used independently. For example, the Aquarium’s biannual and ultimately connect more people to Deaf Awareness Day event brings sign language interpreters onsite to narrate discover and value the natural world.” public programs alongside community The National Aquarium strives to partners. However, presenters and think beyond the code book by employing educators are prepared on all other days the following strategies: with printed transcripts to assist with Establish that access, like safety, is communication. Private, seat-mounted everyone’s job. While many organizations units also display closed captioning in the have an appointed ADA coordinator, Aquarium’s 4-D Immersion Theater. all staff should understand how they Staff should be prepared to provide contribute to accessibility. The National accommodations at any moment. At the Aquarium’s human resources department National Aquarium, behind-the-scenes sends all new hires to a training that tour guides are trained on basic audio includes disability etiquette, preferred description and sighted guide assistance on language and an overview of tools the the chance that a guest who is blind or has Aquarium provides. Key departments, low vision arrives for a tour. They also have such as guest services and education, take a stash of tactile models to bring along so a deeper dive into reframing disability by the guest can explore texture, scale and discussing scenarios guests may encounter other sensory elements. and sharing innovative solutions. Look beyond the physical Find a balance between targeted environment. The Internet as we know programs and everyday incorporated it did not exist when ADA was created services. Special programs that target 25 years ago. Today, it’s a form of public specific audiences—e.g., sensory accommodation and should thus meet mornings for children with autism or effective communication standards tactile tours for guests who are blind—are in order to serve the widest audience increasingly popular and ensure specific possible. That means organizations needs have been met, but they often are should be evaluating how their website only offered on certain days or times that interfaces with assistive technologies;

46 www.aza.org | June 2016 © Aquarium National

how their YouTube videos and other social media channels are viewed by people who are blind or deaf; and how their mobile apps take advantage of smartphones’ built-in accessibility features. That way, when the law does catch up, they’re already a step ahead. Remember: What works for one group should and can benefit the whole population and thereby widen the overall audience. A 2013 study from San Francisco State University showed that video captions dramatically improved comprehension—an asset for organizations that want their audiences to remember a call to action. Similarly, alt tags improve website navigation for people using screen readers, but they also lead to higher search engine optimization. Viewing accessibility as something that must be done for legal purposes will only lead to meeting minimum The Aquarium’s biannual Deaf standards, looking for a book of code Awareness Day event brings sign with all the answers and designing language interpreters onsite to narrate with a fear of litigation. Instead, AZA- public programs alongside community accredited zoos and aquariums should partners. Presenters and educators are consider it a customer-service issue and prepared on all other days with printed an organizational asset that will attract transcripts to assist with communication.

new audiences, retain existing ones and © Aquarium National ultimately connect more people to discover and value the natural world.

Jenny Hamilton is the community programs manager at the National Aquarium.

46 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 47 48 www.aza.org | June 2016 Midwest Tongs has a complete line of Professional Cleaning Equipment Thanks to Lakeside Nature Center for their support.

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48 www.aza.org | June 2016 TONGS.comJune 2016 | www.aza.org 49

049F-Connect Full Pg Ad.indd 1 5/10/16 2:06 PM Faces & Places

Member News as Chattanooga’s Market Seattle Aquarium animal care and welfare, as well Keith Sanford Named President. Sanford managed the Announces New Chief as facilities and operations that Tennessee Aquarium institution’s assets and helped Operating Officer impact our human visitors.” President and CEO grow First Tennessee into the The Seattle In Chattanooga, region’s largest bank with 25 Aquarium in Tamra Ward Joins Tenn., members of branch locations and more than Seattle, Wash., Denver Zoo as the Tennessee $2 billion in assets. announced the Chief External Aquarium’s Board Sanford was named appointment of Brad Rutherford Relations Officer of Trustees elected Keith Sanford Chattanooga Area Manager as new chief operating officer. Denver Zoo in as president and chief executive of the Year (CAMOY) by He began work in this newly Denver, Colo., officer. Sanford succeeds Charlie the member organization of created role at the Aquarium on welcomed Tamra Arant, who served as the CAMOY in 2014. 8 February. Ward to its Aquarium’s president and chief “I’m honored to follow Rutherford will focus executive team as the new chief executive officer for more than in the footsteps of leaders like primarily on internal operations external relations officer. Ward 20 years. Sanford started at the Charlie Arant, Jim Hill and of the Aquarium and will report brings more than 25 years of Aquarium on 1 March. Bill Flynn as the Tennessee directly to President and Chief media relations, community “We knew we had some Aquarium prepares for its Executive Officer Robert W. engagement and management big shoes to fill in finding a 25th anniversary next year. Davidson. Rutherford brings 25 experience to the table, as well as candidate to continue Charlie As a member of the Board years of leadership in the private, an impressive resume of Arant’s great work,” said John of Trustees, the return on public and nonprofit sectors, leadership positions with many Giblin, executive vice president investment made by this most recently as the executive nonprofit organizations. Most and chief financial officer community in the Aquarium director of the Snow Leopard recently, she served as the of BlueCross BlueShield of is nothing short of remarkable. Trust, an international wildlife founder and president of Ward Tennessee. Giblin served as This fall, the facility will open conservation organization. In & Associates and president and chair of the Aquarium Board the biological field station of that role, over 15 years, he built chief executive officer of of Trustees’ search committee. the Aquarium’s conservation a staff of 64 in seven different Colorado Concern. “After a thorough search institute on the campus of countries and managed diverse “Tamra is known in the and review of more than 100 Baylor. From a board member’s teams with a broad range of community for her grace, passion applications, we determined perspective, it further expands nationalities, cultures and and understanding. Her approach, the best person to be the next the scope of work done by the languages—all from his home skill-set and track record for CEO of one of our city’s most Aquarium in the region. From base in Hansville, Wash. success are the perfect fit for cherished institutions was my new vantage point, it’s one of Other notable highlights Denver Zoo. I am excited to bring someone who has devoted many exciting strategies that will from Rutherford’s past such a talented leader to our his entire career to improving well position the Aquarium for experience include supporting executive team,” said President the Chattanooga community. a future that I’m pleased to share global rural development and Chief Executive Officer of Keith’s record of achievement as a member of the team.” programs for Winrock Denver Zoo Shannon Block. during his long tenure at First Arant believes the International in Washington, “Joining the amazing team Tennessee speaks for itself. He organization has been entrusted DC, and working with the at Denver Zoo and assisting will be an exemplary leader for to someone who will carry on Peace Corps in the Central them in ensuring this beloved the Tennessee Aquarium.” the traditions of excellence in African Republic. Brad holds a asset continues to thrive, grow Sanford is well known animal care, superior exhibits, master’s degree from the Paul and provide life-long memories and respected throughout guest satisfaction and focus H. Nitze School of Advanced for Colorado families is a dream Chattanooga, both on freshwater conservation. “I International Studies at come true,” said Ward. “I am professionally and for volunteer think the Aquarium’s Board Johns Hopkins University truly honored to be affiliated service, lending his business of Trustees made an excellent and a Bachelors of Arts in with the organization and look expertise and leadership skills to choice,” said Charlie Arant. communication studies from forward to rolling up my sleeves many of the area’s top nonprofit “Keith will bring his experience, Northwestern University. and playing a key role in the organizations. expertise and energy to a team “He is a strong manager who organization’s future.” For the past 36 years, of seasoned Aquarium leaders, believes in our mission and will As Founder and President at Sanford has been employed staff and volunteers that I am help us to more effectively carry Ward & Associates, a full service at First Tennessee, rising in very proud of. Together, we’ve it out,” said Davidson. “In his public affairs firm, Ward worked banking and finance from his accomplished a lot, and I’m new role, Rutherford will help with clients, including Susan start as a management trainee confident that some of the manage day to day operations G. Komen Colorado, where she to serving for the past five Aquarium’s best years are yet to of the Aquarium to assure the served as their interim chief years in the bank’s top position come with Keith’s leadership.” best practices are followed for executive officer and assisted in

50 www.aza.org | June 2016 their recent leadership search, the Senate in 1994. Prior to relations, marketing, special as well as a variety of corporate, moving to Denver in 2000, the events and park attractions. foundation, nonprofit and business Sheridan, Wyoming, native She joins The Living Desert trade organization clients. served as the vice president of with more than 20 years of AUGUST 2016 Prior to founding Ward & marketing and development experience in marketing. Her Associates, she served as the for Columbia Hospital for extensive background includes 16: Orangutan SSP Husbandry Course president and chief executive Women, a private, not-for- working for some of the biggest Henry Vilas Zoo officer of Colorado Concern, a profit hospital in Washington, casino companies in the world, Madison, Wisc. www.orangutanssp.org/ business advocacy association of DC. Ward is a graduate of the with responsibilities ranging 2016-workshop.html more than 115 chief executives Chamber’s Leadership Denver from advertising and branding from across the state. Ward has Program and was named by the to planning events and 17-19: Orangutan SSP also served as the senior vice Denver Business Journal as one employee training to help grow Husbandry Workshop president of public affairs and of Denver’s “40 Under 40.” In loyalty programs. Henry Vilas Zoo communications for the Denver 2006, she was named a “Woman “Dawn brings a wealth of Madison, Wisc. www.orangutanssp.org/ Metro Chamber of Commerce, of Distinction” by the Mile Hi experience and knowledge to 2016-workshop.html where she was responsible for Chapter of the Girl Scouts, and our team at The Living Desert, the development and execution in 2012 the Colorado Women’s and we are thrilled to have her,” SEPTEMBER 2016 of a local, state and federal Chamber of Commerce awarded said Monroe. “Her expertise 7-11: AZA Annual Conference government relations and her the title of one of the in the field of marketing and San Diego Zoo Global and political strategy that met the state’s “Top 25 Most Powerful customer service is going to be SeaWorld San Diego needs of the organization’s 3,000 Women.” Ward currently serves invaluable in her position of San Diego, Calif. member businesses, as well on the Board of Directors of director of park services.” www.aza.org/annualconference/ as executing an organization- History Colorado (gubernatorial Most recently, Petrick wide internal and external appointment), Mile High United was a marketing consultant 25-30: Animal Training Applications communications plan that Way, ARC Thrift Stores and working with clients such in Zoo & Aquarium Settings Denver Zoo benefitted the Chamber and all Komen Colorado. as Morongo Casino Resort Denver, Colo. its affiliates. Known for her work and Spa in Cabazon, Calif., www.aza.org/ATA.aspx as the business community lead The Living Desert Innowave Marketing Group on statewide ballot measures, Names Dawn Petrick in Hillsborough, Calif., and 25-30: Managing Animal Enrichment Ward has led efforts to raise $28 Director of Park Maryland Live! Casino in & Training Programs million for successful campaigns Services/Guest Relations Baltimore, Md. Denver Zoo to support or defeat measures Allen Monroe, Prior to that, she spent nearly Denver, Colo. viewed as helpful or harmful to president and chief seven years with world-renowned www.aza.org/MAETP.aspx Colorado’s economic climate executive officer of Harrah’s Entertainment in Las since 2005. The Living Desert Vegas, Nev. As the marketing OCTOBER 2016 A 1990 graduate of Baylor Zoo and Gardens in Palm director, Petrick created 1-5: Otter Keeper Workshop University, Ward’s career Desert/Indian Wells, Calif., has promotions and events, managed Buffalo Zoo began on Capitol Hill, where named Dawn Petrick as the all public relations and was Buffalo, N.Y. www.otterkeeperworkshop.org she served as assistant press new director of park services/ instrumental in the creation secretary for Sen. Alan Simpson guest relations. of marketing materials for the 5-9: From Good Care to Great (R-WY), press secretary for Petrick will lead and manage World Series of Poker. Within Welfare Workshop Rep. Craig Thomas (R-WY) all aspects of guest services at two years, her efforts helped to Detroit Zoo and deputy chief of staff The Living Desert including triple the amount of entries into Royal Oak, Mich. following Thomas’ election to admissions, membership, public the tournament. E-mail: [email protected]

6-9: Advancing Bear Care 2016 Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo & For member news, visit Aquarium Omaha, Neb. www.bearcaregroup.org www.aza.org/ 18-22: International Zoo Educators Association Biennial Conference Fundación Temaikèn pressroom Buenos Aires, Argentina www.temaiken.org.AR/IZE2016

50 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 51 Faces & Places

Member Updates Children’s Zoo at Director, Oklahoma The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is pleased Celebration Square Zoological Society, Inc. to warmly welcome new professional affiliate, professional Ann Vlach, Volunteer James Seidler, Director of fellow, conservation partners, accredited institutions, Coordinator, Texas Communications, Lincoln certified related facilities and commercial members. State Aquarium Park Zoo Ron W. Whitfield, Curator Tisha Sloan, Sr. HR Director, New Professional Damien Lasater, Associate of Carnivores, San Francisco Oklahoma City Zoological Park Affiliate Members Director, Design, San Diego Zoo Zoological Gardens Matt Steele, Public Relations Michael Robert Barnes, Amanda Lawless, Associate Supervisor, San Diego Zoo Registrar, Los Angeles Zoo Population Biologist, Lincoln New Professional Ryan VanZant, Director, and Botanical Gardens Park Zoo Fellow Members Hutchinson Zoo Jenn Beening, Social Media Emily Lundquist, Gayle Anderson, Chief Coordinator, San Diego Zoo Membership & Financial Officer, Dallas Zoo New/Reinstated Jillian Braun, Manager of Public Communications Bridget Coughlin, PhD, Commercial Members Relations, Lincoln Park Zoo Coordinator, Friends of President & CEO, John G. Carl Stahl Décor Cable Kasey Brogan, Zookeeper, Henry Vilas Zoo Shedd Aquarium 8080 S Madison St John Ball Zoo Benjamin Wayne Tammi Ellison, Burr Ridge, IL 60527 Amy Carrick, Administrative Morneweck, Sunset Development Director, Email: [email protected] Coordinator, Audubon Zoological Park Wildlife Safari Phone: (312) 474-1100 Aquarium of the Americas Kiki Nolen-Schmidt, Brooke Fairman, Director Primary Contact: Sarah Chapman, Zookeeper, Marketing Coordinator, of Development, Roger Patrick S. Kelly Zoo Miami Birmingham Zoo Williams Park Zoo www.decorcable.com Judith Coats, Interpretation Bridget Pearson, Director Joe Greathouse, PhD, Zoo Carl Stahl DécorCable is a Specialist, San Diego Zoo of Communications, Fort Director, Oglebay’s Good Zoo leading worldwide supplier Jennifer Conti, Wayne Children’s Zoo Kelly Grether, Director of of stainless cable, rod, mesh Development Director, Laura Peirson, Hospital Development, Louisville and specialty products. Elmwood Park Zoo Manager of Animal Health, Zoological Garden We also provide design, Cassandra Davis, Education Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Lesley Kirrene, Director of engineering and project Volunteer Coordinator, Kelly Elise Salamone, Sr. External Affairs, Sacramento Zoo management services. We Aquarium of the Pacific Animal Trainer, San Diego Zoo Jeff Mumford, Director of specialize in balustrading Arlinda Duffy, Happy Hollow Zoo Ryan A. Schaeffer, Birch Design, Lincoln Park Zoo and walkways, trellis systems, Celeste Fulmer, Zoo Keeper, Aquarium at Scripps Dena Narbaitz, Vice custom exhibit enclosures Sunset Zoological Park Institution of Oceanography President of Human for large cats and primates, Katherine Tracy Harman, Joseph E. Schnierlein, Resources, San Francisco custom aviaries, wayfinding Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk Zoological Gardens and cable displays for retail Andree C. Herbert, Sheri Sherman, Education Melissa Nelson Slater, and foodservice use. Our Director of Development Specialist, San Diego Zoo Assistant Curator of range of products includes & Membership, Caitlin Smith, Guest Behavioral Husbandry, I-SYS® INOX Stainless Steel Tennessee Aquarium Experience Assistant, Bronx Zoo Cables and Rods, X-TEND® Charlie Hyde, San Diego Audubon Aquarium of David Pennock, Flexible Stainless Cable Zoo Safari Park the Americas Superintendent, Idaho Falls Mesh, FacadeScape™ Green Nate Jaros, Aquarium of Julia Marie Terrien, Animal Zoo at Tautphaus Park Wall Systems, MCS® Cable the Pacific Collection Supervisor, Tim Rasnic, Executive and Rod Display System, Posilock® Suspension Have your Zoo & Aquarium sales figures left you out in the cold? Displays and StreamLine™ Design Accessories. Did you forget to CREW Productions 17 Golden Manor London, W7 3EE UNITED KINGDOM Email: [email protected] For rate sheet and contract information, visit Phone: +44 808 123 4414 www.aza.org/Advertising or call (301) 562-0777, ext. 254. Primary Contact: Ros Senior www.crew.uk.net/

52 www.aza.org | June 2016 Exhibits

the length of 63 football fields. The V-shaped bridge extends 81 feet over the Shark Realm exhibit, home to more than 20 different species of fish, including sharks and stingrays. As each guest enters Shark Bridge, they will enjoy “back of house” access to the top of Shark Realm, a first for the Aquarium. From the bridge, guests will see the exhibit’s massive life support system (LSS), which keeps Shark Realm running and its inhabitants healthy. Nurse sharks can be seen resting on the exhibit floor, while the sandbar and sand tiger sharks are easily visible swimming below. At various times, visitors walking Shark Bridge may also see behind the scenes activities such as divers entering the exhibit, sharks being fed with target poles and other guests participating in Swim with the Sharks Adventures. With each step, visitors are given more ways to connect and dive into the world of sharks. “We hope to engage and inspire our guests to revere, © Adventure Aquarium © Adventure not fear, these majestic and misunderstood creatures,” said Dare to Cross: Adventure Aquarium Announces Grand Nicoletti. “Shark Bridge will Opening of Shark Bridge Exhibit leverage a thrilling and unique experience to encourage guests Adventure Aquarium in “As our guests make Bridge will incite the explorer to make a connection between Camden, N.J., officially the journey across Shark in all of us.” themselves, the sharks and what announced its newest exhibit Bridge, they will have an Shark Bridge is constructed they can do to help long after their addition for 2016, which involves unprecedented perspective of almost 4 tons of steel, 148 visit to Adventure Aquarium. walking over water—and sharks. of the 550,000-gallon Shark bolts and enough rope to span Shark Bridge takes visitors Realm exhibit,” said Vince just inches above nearly 30 Nicoletti, executive remarkable sand tiger, sandbar director and and nurse sharks along with vice president of other animals swimming below. Adventure Aquarium. Guests will become part of “For the first time ever, the experience as they cross we will take visitors the longest, V-shaped rope directly above the water, suspension bridge in the world and these magnificent over the 21-foot-deep Shark creatures, all while granting Realm exhibit. Shark Bridge is access to areas previously sure to be an unforgettable, one- accessible only to the biologists. of-a-kind thrill. There’s no doubt that Shark

52 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 53 Announcements

Accreditation and Certification Advertiser Index Review September 2016 A Thru Z Consulting and Distributing, Inc...... 61 Aqua Logic, Inc...... 60 Listed below are the institutions to be evaluated for accreditation Beanstalk Builders...... 19 or certification by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Accreditation Commission when it meets 6-8 September 2016 at the Carnivore Essentials...... 5 Annual Conference in San Diego, Calif. In most cases, inspections for Cemrock Landscapes, Inc. these institutions and facilities will take place between April and June, Naturalistic Environments...... 63 culminating in a hearing before the Commission in September. Central Nebraska Packing, Inc...... Back Cover Anyone wishing to offer comments, positive or negative, CLR Design...... 69 should submit them in writing as soon as possible to: Accreditation Corners Limited...... 48 Programs, AZA, 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 710, Silver Spring, MD Dan Inject Dart Guns...... 19 20910. Comments can also be emailed to Accreditation Programs at Fauna Research, Inc...... 59 [email protected]. Hayward Flow Control...... 56 Met-Pro Global Pump Solutions - Fybroc...... 64 Accreditation Applicants Mesker Park Zoo Midwest Tongs, Inc...... 49 African Safari Wildlife Park & Botanic Garden Milliken Meats...... 58 Alaska SeaLife Center Mill Mountain Zoo Nets Unlimited, Inc...... 62 Birmingham Zoo Northwest Trek Wildlife Park Neptune-Benson...... 71 Brandywine Zoo Red River Zoo Peerless AV...... 6 Buffalo Zoo Riverside Discovery Center Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems...... 67 Capron Park Zoo Roger Williams Park Zoo The Portico Group...... 65 David Traylor Zoo of Emporia Roosevelt Park Zoo Richards-Wilcox, Inc...... 63 Detroit Zoo Scovill Zoo RodentPro.com, LLC...... Inside Back Cover Elmwood Park Zoo SEA LIFE Carlsbad Aquarium Skulls Unlimited International, Inc...... Inside Front Cover Erie Zoo SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium Tenji, Inc...... 70 Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge SeaWorld San Antonio Timberline Live Foods...... 57 Museum of Natural History Squam Lakes Natural Science Center Tom Tischler Bronze...... 56 Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center Trevor Zoo Torre Design Consortium, Ltd...... 2 Jackson Zoo Turtle Back Zoo Lake Superior Zoo the Wilds Triple A Brand Meat Company...... 56 Lee Richardson Zoo WA Davidson of Jax, Inc...... 66 Lincoln Children’s Zoo Certification Applicants Zoo Horticulture Consulting & Design...... 64 Little Rock Zoo Duke University Lemur Center Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc...... 68 Endangered Wolf Center

54 www.aza.org | June 2016 2016 AZA Photo Contest including without limitation other kinds Photos must be taken in 2016 Send to: Both electronic and of print media and or the last three months of hard copy images will be accepted, electronic media. 2015 by staff or volunteers at though electronic images are By entering the an Association of Zoos and preferred. All submissions become contest you also Aquariums (AZA)-accredited the property of AZA and will not represent, acknowledge institution. Connect staff will judge be acknowledged or returned. and warrant that the photos, and the winner will Send electronic images to Tim (i) the submitted appear on the December 2016 Lewthwaite at TLewthwaite@aza. photograph is cover. Other exceptional photos org with “Photo Contest” in the an original work will be highlighted inside the subject line. Hard copies may be created solely by magazine. The photos may also mailed to: you, and you are appear on AZA’s website and/or 2016 Photo Contest, the sole owner of other promotional materials. Tim Lewthwaite all right, title, and AZA Publications Manager interest in and to Format for Submission: 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 710 your photograph, Submissions should include the Silver Spring, MD including the name of the photographer, the 20910-3314 copyright; (ii) AZA institution, the species, AZA’s publication of the date of the picture, and License: By entering the your photograph as authorized arrangement that would conflict the equipment used. Only one contest, you grant to AZA, herein will not violate or with your permission herein; photo entry will be accepted per and its successors and assigns, infringe any right, title, or and (v) you agree to indemnify photographer, so send in your the non-exclusive, worldwide, interest of any person or entity; and hold harmless AZA against best image. Pictures can include perpetual right and license to (iii) AZA’s publication of your any damages, losses, or expenses animals, people, and zoo or use, display, reproduce, publish, photograph will not violate any occurring as a result of any aquarium scenes—if you think it transmit, and distribute your right of privacy or publicity claimed breach of warranty. will make a good cover, send it in. photograph on AZA’s website, nor create any other liability in in our magazine, and/or in any tort and that you have obtained Release Form: To be Deadline: The deadline for other promotional materials. a valid model release from considered for publication in entries is 15 September 2016. Your grant and license shall also any identifiable, individual Connect, all contest photos apply to any reprints, revised person who is the subject of the that include people must be Format: JPG, TIFF or EPS; editions, or derivative works in photograph; (iv) you are not a accompanied by AZA’s Model 300+ dpi and 9”x12” in size any media or format, whether party to and your photograph Release Form signed by each (jpgs preferred). now or hereafter known, is not subject to any contract or person depicted.

START DISCUSSIONS. INVITE COLLEAGUES. SHARE RESOURCES. AZA network GET CONNECTED. Your zoo and aquarium online networking community.

54 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 55 56 www.aza.org | June 2016 56 www.aza.org | June 2016

June 2016 | www.aza.org 59

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64 www.aza.org | June 2016 Photo credit: Tara Wuennenberg Photography Photo credit: Daniel Photography Ortiz Photo credit: Craig Kohlruss Photography

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70 www.aza.org | June 2016 June 2016 | www.aza.org 71 CAPRON PARK ZOO Attleboro, Massachusetts Capron Park Zoo announced the birth of a male serval kitten named Zuberi (Swahili for “strength”), born 9 December 2015. Summer, the mother, and Sav, the father, are THE MARITIME AQUARIUM considered breeding priorities by the AT NORWALK Serval Species Survival Plan® (SSP). Norwalk, Connecticut Two round stingrays were born at The Maritime Aquarium on 31 January 2016, a first for the Norwalk attraction. The common Pacific TAMPA’S LOWRY PARK ZOO species is among the creatures Tampa, Florida featured in a “Camouflage” display within the Aquarium’s popular On 17 February, a 10-year-old Sharks & Rays Gallery. endangered Bornean orangutan named Hadiah gave birth to her first offspring less than two months after her own mother, a 30-year-old Bornean CHATTANOOGA ZOO orangutan named Josie, gave Chattanooga, Tennessee birth to her fourth offspring on The Chattanooga Zoo announced 20 December 2015. The newest the successful hatching of a group of baby, a female, creates a third hellbender eggs collected from the generation of the orangutan family wild in East Tennessee. This is the first living at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. hellbender hatching at the Zoo. Working in partnership with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the Nashville Zoo in Nashville, Tenn., The University THE LIVING DESERT of Tennessee and Lee University on AND GARDENS a head start program to conserve the Palm Desert/Indian species, the Zoo will rear this group Wells, California of juvenile hellbenders until they are The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens mature enough to monitor in the wild. announced the birth of a bighorn lamb in February. The Living Desert participates with other Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited facilities from around the country in the SAN DIEGO ZOO Bighorn Sheep SSP. At the beginning of the 19th century, there were 1.5 to 2 San Diego, California million sheep in North America. Today, The entomology department at the San there are fewer than 70,000. Diego Zoo is caring for the first 73 critically endangered Lord Howe Island stick insect nymphs that have hatched from 300 eggs the Zoo received from Melbourne in January 2016 as part of an effort to save the species from extinction. For more Births & Hatchings, Entomologists are also preparing as the visit our website: www.azaanimals.org oldest nymphs complete their first instar, the growth period that occurs between molts.

72 www.aza.org | June 2016 72 www.aza.org | June 2016 PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Rockville, Maryland 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 710 PERMIT #4297 Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 (301) 562-0777 www.aza.org

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