Volume 37, Number 4 ~ Fourth Quarter 2012 Magazine of the International Marine Animal Trainers’ Association AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO TRAINING GUEST INTERACTION WITH ASIAN SMALL CLAWED OTTERS (Aonyx cinerea) ALSO IN THIS CARE AND HANDLING OF ISSUE: NEONATE BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS ISSN # 1007-016X DEDICATED TO ADVANCING THE HUMANE CARE AND HANDLING OF MARINE ANIMALS BY FOSTERING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PROFESSIONALS THAT SERVE MARINE ANIMAL SCIENCE THROUGH TRAINING, PUBLIC DISPLAY, RESEARCH, HUSBANDRY, CONSERVATION, AND EDUCATION. Front Cover Photo Credit: Valerie Greene IMATA BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT PAST PRESIDENT SHELLEY WOOD MICHAEL OSBORN ABC Animal Training Mystic Aquarium REGIONAL REPORTER CONTACT INFORMATION Dolphin Discovery Associate Editor: Nicole O’Donnell [email protected] TREASURER Associate Editor: Martha Hill [email protected] FIRST VICE PRESIDENT PATTY SCHILLING Asia: Philip Wong [email protected] GRANT ABEL New England Aquarium Australia/New Zealand: Ryan Tate [email protected] Ocean Park Hong Kong Canada: Brian Sheehan [email protected] SECRETARY SECOND VICE PRESIDENT JENNIFER LEACH Caribbean Islands: Adrian Penny [email protected] MICHELLE SOUSA SeaWorld San Diego Europe North Central: Christiane Thiere [email protected] Aquarium of the Pacific Europe Northeast: Sunna Edberg [email protected] DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE Europe Northwest: John-Rex Mitchell [email protected] THIRD VICE PRESIDENT LAURA YEATES Europe South Central: Pablo Joury [email protected] KELLY FLAHERTY CLARK National Marine Mammal Foundation SeaWorld Orlando Europe Southwest: Monika Lechermeier [email protected] Japan: Haruhiko Kato [email protected] PRESIDENT-ELECT Mexico Alex Mata [email protected] ERIC GAGLIONE Middle East: Tommy Wilken [email protected] Georgia Aquarium Pacific Islands: Stephanie Vlachos [email protected] Russia/Ukraine: Monika Lechermeier [email protected] COMMITTEE CHAIRS South Africa: Gabby Harris [email protected] ACCREDITATION LEGISLATION, INFORMATION, South America Miguel Marques [email protected] BILLY HURLEY AND POLICY U.S. Midwest: Stacey Lonski [email protected] Georgia Aquarium MICHAEL OSBORN U.S. North Central: John-Rex Mitchell [email protected] Mystic Aquarium U.S. Northeast: Beth Manning [email protected] ANIMAL TRAINING ADVISORY U.S. Northwest: Cinthia Alia-Mitchell [email protected] TODD COFFMAN MEMBERSHIP SERVICES SeaWorld Orlando SUNNA EDBERG U.S. South Central: Shannon Ray [email protected] Kolmarden U.S. Southeast: Sarah Graff [email protected] DENNIS CHRISTEN U.S. Southwest: Brittany Harris [email protected] Georgia Aquarium LAURA YEATES National Marine Mammal Foundation Soundings is published four times a year by the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA) CENTRAL OFFICE as a service to its members. Submissions of manuscripts, photographs, and illustrations are welcomed and KEN RAMIREZ MERCHANDISE encouraged, but will be returned only if accompanied by a return envelope and adequate postage. Any John G. Shedd Aquarium ANN HOEDT material accepted is subject to such revision as is necessary in our sole discretion to meet the requirements Georgia Aquarium of publication. Soundings is produced using Microsoft Word; the style manual followed is the fifth edition CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH (2002) Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Electronic submissions are preferred DEBI COLBERT NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS and can be sent to IMATA Soundings Chief Editor, Heather Keenan, at: [email protected]. (Typed submissions Association of Zoos and Aquariums MICHAEL OSBORN will also be accepted and should be double spaced on 8.5” x 11” paper.) Include the name, address, FAX Mystic Aquarium number, and phone number of the author on the title page. Slides and hard copy or photographs can be color EDUCATION SERVICES or black and white; photographs should be at least 3” x 5”. Digital photographs are welcomed and should MADELYNN HETTIGER PUBLIC RELATIONS AND John G. Shedd Aquarium PROMOTIONS have adequate resolution when viewed on a computer screen. For all images, include captions, identify all MICHAEL HUNT recognizable persons, and include a photo credit. The act of submitting an article, photograph, or illustration FINANCE Georgia Aquarium constitutes an agreement that (1) the materials are free of copyright restrictions, (2) photo releases have TRACI BELTING been obtained, and (3) the material may be published by IMATA in Soundings or other IMATA publications. Seattle Aquarium PUBLICATIONS Deadlines for submission are 15 November, 15 February, 15 May, and 15 August. Submissions should be PATRICK BERRY addressed to Heather Keenan, Soundings Chief Editor, email [email protected] or mailed to IMATA, 1200 HISTORIAN Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois, USA, or faxed to (312) 939-2216. Address changes should be sent CHERYL MESSINGER to IMATA’s Secretary, Jennifer Leach, at the same address. Address changes can also be made online at Dolphin Connection REGIONAL WORKSHOPS IMATA’s web site, www.imata.org. STACI LONSKI HONORS AND AWARDS Indianapolis Zoo ©Copyright 2012. All of the articles contained within Soundings are the personal views of the respective NICOLE O’DONNELL authors and do not necessarily represent the views of IMATA or its Board of Directors. Navy Marine Mammal Program SPONSORSHIP CHRIS SCULLION CONTACT US SAIC BioSolutions 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605 USA PHONE (312) 692-3193 • FAX (312) 939-2216 [email protected] or visit our website at www.imata.org CHIEF EDITORS PROCEEDINGS WEB SITE DESIGN & PRODUCTION LAURA YEATES BEAU RICHTER Lunar Cow National Marine Mammal Foundation Long Marine Laboratory and Aquarium 137 S. Main Street, STE 202 • Akron, OH 44308 (330) 253-9000 • www.lunarcow.com SOUNDINGS HEATHER KEENAN Miami Seaquarium VOLUME 37, NUMBER 4 ~ FOURTH QUARTER 2012 SOUNDINGS PUBLICATION CHIEF EDITOR HEATHER KEENAN – Miami Seaquarium EDITORIAL DIRECTOR SHELLEY WOOD – ABC Animal Training MAGAZINE OF THE INTERnatiOnaL MARINE ANIMAL TRAINERS’ ASSOCiatiON Dolphin Discovery ASSOCIATE EDITOR SUZANNE SMITH – Louisiana Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Resue Program BACK TO BASICS – Benjamin Schreiner ENRICHING ENVIRONMENTS – Ronnie Smith 16 OFF THE SHELF – John Widick 27 PRODUCT PROFILE – Chris Scullion TRAINER’S FORUM – Robert Roozendaal ASSOCIATE EDITOR Coral Reefs Aiding in Medical Science Identification System, Internet, and digital nautical chart technologies to alert MARTHA HILL – Sea Life Park Hawaii REGIONAL REPORTS The chemistry that helps form the oceans’ amazing landscapes of corals is actually mariners to NOAA’s right whale conservation measures which are active in their Asia Philip Wong aiding in the treatment of cancer. Using the chemicals that create the coral reefs, immediate vicinity. North Atlantic right whales are among the world’s rarest large Australia Ryan Tate animals. With a habitat range from Nova Scotia to Florida, recent estimates of their Canada Brian Sheehan scientists are deriving drugs that have shown positive effects on treating certain Caribbean Islands Adrian Penny cancers and leukemia. Ara-C, populations are approximately 350-550 animals. Collision with ships is a leading Europe North Central Christiane Thiere cause of right whale deaths. (NOAA) Europe Northeast Sunna Edberg a chemotherapy drug derived Europe Northwest John-Rex Mitchell from a sea sponge, has aided Europe South Central Pablo Joury Europe Southwest Monika Lechermeier in the treatment of leukemia. Windy Fish Farms 10 ® Japan Haruhiko Kato Halaven , a drug also from a sea Mexico Alex Mata Middle East Tommy Wilken sponge, which improves survival Pacific Islands Stephanie Vlachos rates for men and women who Russia/Ukraine Monika Lechermeier have metastatic breast cancer, South Africa Gabby Harris South America Miguel Marques became available in November U.S. Midwest Stacey Lonski 2010. The challenge is that 90% U.S. North Central John-Rex Mitchell Marine sponge (Halichondria okadai). U.S. Northeast Beth Manning Photo Credit: Dr. Paul May, University of Bristol of the Caribbean’s corals have U.S. Northwest Cinthia Alia-Mitchell been diminished by climate U.S. South Central Shannon Ray FEATURES U.S. Southeast Sarah Graff change and waterway pollution. Scientists at the Nature Conservancy have created U.S. Southwest Brittany Harris 10 AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO coral farms to sustainably harvest the life-saving properties of the reef. The farms, ASSOCIATE EDITOR TRAINING GUEST INTERACTION supporting over 30,000 corals around Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands, grow the DENNIS CHRISTEN – Georgia Aquarium WITH ASIAN SMALL CLAWED OTTERS DEPARTMENTS WHAT’S UP DOC – Jen DeGroot Abandoning the use of primary corals by gluing some to cinder blocks on the ocean floor and hanging others from CONSERVATION BRIEFS – Shelly Samm reinforcement when training interactions CONSERVATION BRIEFS ropes that float in the water. Their goal is to produce 4,000 corals a year. Along with EDUCATION FORUM – Jason Jones 5 Features conservation tidbits from current discoveries in the treatment of certain cancers and leukemia, more research Horns Rev 1 wind farm, Denmark. Photo Credit: Vattenfall INNERviews – Kevin Roberts CARE AND HANDLING OF NEONATE around the world NOTICES & ANNOUNCEMENTS – Haley Merritt 27 is showing promise for treating AIDS and perhaps even Lupus, Alzheimer’s and RESEARCH BRIEFS – Beau