Volume 36, Number 1 ~ First Quarter 2011 Magazine of the International Marine Animal Trainers’ Association VOLUNTARY BLOOD COLLECTION FROM THE EPIDURAL SINUS OF TWO HARBOR SEALS (Phoca vitulina vitulina) 38TH ANNUAL IMATA CONFERENCE WRAP-UP ISSN # 1007-016X VOLUME 36, NUMBER 1 ~ FIRST QUARTER 2011 DEDICATED TO ADVANCING THE HUMANE CARE MAGAZINE OF THE INTERnatiOnaL MARINE ANIMAL TRAINERS’ ASSOCiatiON AND HANDLING OF MARINE ANIMALS BY FOSTERING CHIEF EDITOR PATRICK BERRY – Disney’s Animal Programs, The Seas COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PROFESSIONALS THAT SERVE MARINE ANIMAL SCIENCE THROUGH TRAINING, PUBLIC DISPLAY, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RESEARCH, HUSBANDRY, CONSERVATION, AND EDUCATION. MICHAEL OSBORN – Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration 16 ASSOCIATE EDITOR SUZANNE SMITH – SAIC BioSolutions BACK TO BASICS – Marcia Thissell ENRICHING ENVIRONMENTS – Ben Schreiner OFF THE SHELF – Michael Belshaw PRODUCT PROFILE – Chris Scullion Front Cover Photo Credit: Kelly Castillo IMATA BOARD OF DIRECTORS TRAINER’S FORUM – Robert Roozendaal PRESIDENT PAST PRESIDENT MICHAEL OSBORN DAVE ROBERTS ASSOCIATE EDITOR Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration SeaWorld San Diego BETH AMENT – Animal Behavior Consultant REGIONAL REPORTER CONTACT INFORMATION REGIONAL REPORTS Associate Editor: Beth Ament [email protected] FIRST VICE PRESIDENT TREASURER Asia Philip Wong Australia Ryan Tate 24 Asia: Philip Wong [email protected] BILL WOLDEN PATTY SCHILLING Australia/New Zealand: Ryan Tate [email protected] Dolphin Quest, Inc New England Aquarium Canada Brian Sheehan Caribbean Islands Adrian Penny 12 Canada: Brian Sheehan [email protected] Europe North Central Christiane Thiere Caribbean Islands: Adrian Penny [email protected] SECOND VICE PRESIDENT SECRETARY Europe Northeast Sunna Edberg GRANT ABEL LAURA YEATES Europe Northwest John-Rex Mitchell Europe North Central: Christiane Thiere [email protected] Ocean Park Hong Kong U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program Europe South Central Pablo Joury Europe Northeast: Sunna Edberg [email protected] Europe Southwest Monika Lechermeier Europe Northwest: John-Rex Mitchell [email protected] THIRD VICE PRESIDENT DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE Japan Haruhiko Kato Mexico Alex Mata Europe South Central: Pablo Joury [email protected] MICHELLE SOUSA CHRIS DAVIS Long Beach Aquarium A to Z Animal Management Middle East Tommy Wilken Europe Southwest: Monika Lechermeier [email protected] Pacific Islands Stephanie Vlachos Japan: Haruhiko Kato [email protected] Russia/Ukraine Monika Lechermeier PRESIDENT-ELECT South Africa Gabby Harris Mexico: Alex Mata [email protected] SHELLEY WOOD South America Miguel Marques Middle East: Tommy Wilken [email protected] Dolphin Discovery U.S. Midwest Stacey Lonski Pacific Islands: Stephanie Vlachos [email protected] U.S. North Central John-Rex Mitchell Russia/Ukraine: Monika Lechermeier [email protected] U.S. Northeast Beth Manning FEATURES COMMITTEE CHAIRS U.S. Northwest Cinthia Alia-Mitchell South Africa: Gabby Harris [email protected] AccREDITATION HONORS AND AWARDS U.S. South Central Shannon Ray 12 THE ROUGH-TOOTHED DOLPHIN South America: Miguel Marques [email protected] BILLY HURLEY MIKE POOL U.S. Southeast Sarah Graff Rough-toothed dolphins U.S. Midwest: Stacey Lonski [email protected] Georgia Aquarium SeaWorld San Antonio U.S. Southwest Brittany Harris (Steno bredanensis) U.S. North Central: John-Rex Mitchell [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITOR BLOOD COLLECTION FROM THE U.S. Northeast: Beth Manning [email protected] ANIMAL TRAINING ADVISORY INTERNATIONAL SERVICES TODD COFFMAN SUNNA EDBERG DENNIS CHRISTEN – Georgia Aquarium 16 EPIDURAL SINUS WHAT’S UP DOC – Jen DeGroot U.S. Northwest: Cinthia Alia-Mitchell [email protected] SeaWorld Orlando Kolmarden Voluntary blood collection from the U.S. South Central: Shannon Ray [email protected] CONSERVATION BRIEFS – Shelly Samm EDUCATION FORUM – Jason Jones epidural sinus of two harbor seals U.S. Southeast: Sarah Graff [email protected] DENNIS CHRISTEN LEGISLATION, INFORMATION, INNERviews – Kevin Roberts (Phoca vitulina vitulina) U.S. Southwest: Brittany Harris [email protected] Georgia Aquarium AND POLICY NOTICES & ANNOUNCEMENTS – Haley Merritt DEPARTMENTS MARK XITCO RESEARCH BRIEFS – Beau Richter CONSERVATION BRIEFS Soundings is published four times a year by the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA) CENTRAL OFFICE U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program 5 as a service to its members. Submissions of manuscripts, photographs, and illustrations are welcomed and KEN RAMIREZ ASSOCIATE EDITOR Features conservation tidbits encouraged, but will be returned only if accompanied by a return envelope and adequate postage. Any John G. Shedd Aquarium NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS ERIKA PUTMAN – NMMP Foundation IMATA BUSINESS from around the world CONFERENCE COUNTDOWN – Bill Wolden material accepted is subject to such revision as is necessary in our sole discretion to meet the requirements DAVE ROBERTS CONFERENCE SITE SELECTION – Staci Lonski PRESIDENt’s CorNER BACK TO BASICS of publication. Soundings is produced using Microsoft Word; the style manual followed is the fifth edition CONFERENCE SeaWorld San Diego 4 ERIN CLARK LIP SYNC – Mark Xitco What is it that makes IMATA truly 6 The ‘other’ otters at the Seattle Aquarium; (2002) Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Electronic submissions are preferred MEMBERSHIP UPDATES – Laura Yeates New England Aquarium MERCHANDISE and can be sent to IMATA Soundings Chief Editor, Patrick Berry, at: [email protected]. (Typed submissions MERCHANDISE – Erin Clark significant? training North American river otters ERIN CLARK will also be accepted and should be double spaced on 8.5” x 11” paper.) Include the name, address, FAX NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS – Dave Roberts CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH New England Aquarium CONFERENCE WRAP-UP RESEARCH BRIEFS number, and phone number of the author on the title page. Slides and hard copy or photographs can be color PRESIDENT’S CORNER – Michael Osborn 24 DEBI COLBERT REGIONAL WORKSHOP REPORTS – Staci Lonski Memories from the 38th annual IMATA 8 Research with manatees: passive tactile or black and white; photographs should be at least 3” x 5”. Digital photographs are welcomed and should Association of Zoos and Aquariums PUBLICATIONS conference in Boston, Massachusetts detection abilities have adequate resolution when viewed on a computer screen. For all images, include captions, identify all PATRICK BERRY ASSOCIATE EDITOR recognizable persons, and include a photo credit. The act of submitting an article, photograph, or illustration EDUCATION/MEMBERSHIP SERVICES Disney’s Animal Programs, The Seas NEDRA HECKER CONFERENCE AWARD WINNERS ENRICHING ENVIRONMENTS constitutes an agreement that (1) the materials are free of copyright restrictions, (2) photo releases have FEATURE ARTICLES 26 MADELYNN HETTIGER Find out which presentations took home 10 Having a ball: enriching and training been obtained, and (3) the material may be published by IMATA in Soundings or other IMATA publications. Jennifer Alexander, Georgia Aquarium John G. Shedd Aquarium REGIONAL WORKSHOPS an award stingrays in an interactive community Deadlines for submission are 15 November, 15 February, 15 May, and 15 August. Submissions should be STACI LONSKI Michael Belshaw, Marineland Antibes addressed to Patrick Berry, Soundings Chief Editor, email [email protected] or mailed to IMATA, 1200 South FINANCE Indianapolis Zoo Traci Belting, Seattle Aquarium setting Margaret Black Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois, USA, or faxed to (312) 939-2216. Address changes should be sent to TRACI BELTING Sarah Bragnac, Dolphin Research Center REGIONAL REPORTS IMATA’s Secretary, Laura Yeates, at the same address. Address changes can also be made online at IMATA’s Seattle Aquarium SPONSORSHIP Carmen Colitz DVM, Animal Eye Specialty Clinic 18 Keep up on news from IMATA members web site, www.imata.org. CHRIS SCULLION Matt Fripp, SeaWorld San Diego HISTORIAN U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program Andy Johnson, Monterey Bay Aquarium around the world CHERYL MESSINGER Nina Lambert, Theater of the Sea ©Copyright 2011. All of the articles contained within Soundings are the personal views of the respective NOTICES & ANNOUNCEMENTS authors and do not necessarily represent the views of IMATA or its Board of Directors. The Dolphin Connection Brett Long, Alaska SeaLife Center 23 Patrick W. B. Moore, SAIC BioSolutions Information on conference dates and more Ken Ramirez, John G. Shedd Aquarium CONTACT US Terry Samansky, DolphinTrainer.com TRAINer’s FORUM 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605 USA Patty Schilling, New England Aquarium 28 Can we effectively use a time-out and CHIEF EDITORS Grey Stafford, Wildlife World Zoo PHONE (312) 692-3193 FAX (312) 939-2216 PROCEEDINGS WEB SITE communicate what the animal did [email protected] or visit our website at www.imata.org HEATHER KEENAN BEAU RICHTER PHOTO ARCHIVIST wrong if…. Miami Seaquarium Long Marine Laboratory and Aquarium MARK TODD - SAIC BioSolutions DESIGN & PRODUCTION 30 LIP SYNC Lunar Cow SOUNDINGS FACEBOOK FILLERS AND FACTOIDS The latest legislative and regulatory activity DENNIS CHRISTEN - Georgia Aquarium 137 S. Main Street, STE 202 • Akron, OH 44308 PATRICK BERRY MICHAEL HUNT Disney’s Animal Programs, The Seas Georgia Aquarium (330) 253-9000 • www.lunarcow.com PUBLICATIONS CHAIR PATRICK BERRY – Disney’s Animal Programs, The Seas 2 Volume