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![26 www.aza.org | June 2015
Scuba divers in aquarium exhibits
have been a crowd-pleaser for many
years, but with the advent of full face
mask technology making the diver
able to interact with the audience,
what George Peterson, director of dive
programs for Monterey Bay Aquarium
in Monterey, Calif., and others dub the
“Wow” factor has gone up exponen-
tially.
“We’ve been using full face mask
technology in our Kelp Forest exhibit
for more than 20 years,” said Peterson.
“We quickly found that upped the
inquisitiveness of our guests, so as
the technology became more readily
available, it was a natural progression
to make that connection.”
Nine hundred miles up the coast,
Je Christiansen, dive safety o cer for
the Seattle Aquarium in Seattle, Wash.,
said “exit polls had told us that a
diver in the water was one of the most
popular features, so the next step was
to build the connection between the
guest and the environment within the
exhibit. Put in a person you can actual-
ly interact with, and it adds a priceless
element of scale and connection.”
Aquariums have had to make the
choice between wireless communica-
tion, which requires less supporting
infrastructure but can have problems
with aquarium topography, and hard-
wired. Hardwired systems are popular
in shows as they add an element of
safety in addition to more consistent
sound.
“ e hardwired system,” Peterson
believes, “delivers better and more
consistent sound, and if the topside
tender produces the show, that can
[eliminate] the need for a dedicated
sound tech. And because the sound
cable is commingled with the topside
air supply, you also have what is, in
e ect, a dry-side ‘buddy’for the diver
in the water.”
Mike Brittsan, curator and dive
safety o cer at the Columbus Zoo and
Aquarium in Powell, Ohio, said his
facility uses the full face mask tech-
nology in their Indo-Paci c Discovery
Reef exhibit, where diver presentations
reach across the age spectrum.
“First, it’s a way to engage kids,” he
said. “ ey walk in and see (and hear)
the person underwater, who is actually
talking to them. e person in the
water sounds a little like Darth Vader,
and that can be really cool.
“Because somebody speaking to
you from underwater is di erent, peo-
ple are engaged quickly. I mean, if you
see someone standing there talking
about turtles, that’s really not that new.
But if the person talking about turtles
is at the bottom of a 30-foot deep
tank, feeding the turtles while they’re
telling you about them, that’s a whole
di erent thing.”
Arnold Postell, dive safety o cer
and senior biologist for the South Car-
olina Aquarium in Charleston, S.C.,
echoes that sentiment.
“Our large exhibits are the most
popular, and just seeing a diver in
the water gets people interested and
involved,” he said. “You see kids’faces
just light up, and if you can impact a
kid to connect to the water, it makes
delivering your educational message
that much easier. And diving like this
bridges the gap of the acrylic window
and the world of the ocean as well.”
“We try to tailor the content to be
accessible to everyone; not focusing
on kids or adults, but nding that area
in between,” Peterson said. “Make the
science accessible, and you’ll make
the connection with the kids, with
the parents or grandparents who are
there with the kids and with the adults
there on their own. Our goal is to
inspire everyone to love and have a
sense of wonderment for the critters in
the ocean, and a well-conducted dive
presentation can do just that.”
A feeding presentation ups the in-
terest level, Peterson said. “You attract
the attention of the guests, and then,
you can build the fascination with a
particular ecosystem and its popu-
lation. is helps people care about
the animals and the health of their
environment.”
“We can have a diver talking about
the coral reef in the exhibit, and how
it’s not a real coral reef, in spite of how
realistic it looks,” said Holly Bourbon,
curator of large- sh exhibits at the
National Aquarium in Baltimore, Md.
“And we can talk about why it isn’t](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/488499c2-5b12-4874-8cee-fd782b942285-160714153936/85/june2015_final-28-320.jpg)
![June 2015 | www.aza.org 27
real, about how hard coral is to care for
and about how the removal of so much
coral would devastate the natural
ecosystem, and that, too, helps bring
home the conservation message.”
At the Aquarium of the Paci c
in Long Beach, Calif., Vice President
of Husbandry Perry Hampton said,
“We do four to six shows at each of
two exhibits [the Honda Blue Cavern
and the Tropical Reef habitat] every
day. We can be cleaning, or feeding
… it doesn’t seem to matter because
the audience is immediately engaged.
Once that happens, then you can work
in your message – extreme weather
events, the impact of climate change,
sustainability or whatever.”
Full face mask technology, most
agree, can also be a valuable tool in
other areas of aquarium operation.
Peterson said Monterey Bay uses it for
tank maintenance and animal study.
Wireless technology can also be valu-
able, several divers said, if you’re in
water where you can’t clearly see your
dive buddy, or when you’re moving
large animals.
Bourbon said her facility has been
using it in the set-up of their new
Blacktip Reef shark exhibit.
“We’ve been using the Guardian
Full Face Masks as part ofour diving
program with the sta and in anticipa-
tion ofusing them for our education
communication talks,”she said. “ ese
same masks, without the communica-
tion microphone component, can also
be used for exhibit dives in which the
diver needs extra protection.”
“Just seeing a diver in the water
gets people interested and
involved ... You see kids’ faces just
light up, and if you can impact
a kid to connect to the water, it
makes delivering your educational
message that much easier.”
© Tennessee Aquarium/Todd Stailey](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/488499c2-5b12-4874-8cee-fd782b942285-160714153936/85/june2015_final-29-320.jpg)
![30 www.aza.org | June 2015
“You have to learn to breathe prop-
erly, so you don’t run out ofbreath. And
you have to learn to modulate your
speech, and not get involved in long
sentences, [or] you can end up out of
breath and behind the eight-ball.”
ere’s a lot going on for the
diver, said Monterey Bay Aquarium’s
Peterson. “When you do a presenta-
tion underwater, it’s natural to get a bit
nervous to start with. row SCUBA
into the mix, and that’s another task
to manage. en, if the presenta-
tion involves feeding animals, that’s
something else to watch for. at’s why
we take divers through a progressive
training program, until they can mas-
ter all these skills.”
“ e microphone can be tricky
and has to be adjusted for each diver,”
Peterson cautioned. “To get the opti-
mum sound, it helps having someone
who can tweak the sound levels on the
y. And while you don’t want mask
and breathing sounds to overwhelm
what the diver is saying, you also don’t
want the presentation sounding like it’s
taking place in a conference room.”
According to Christiansen, Seattle
runs its signals through a digital
signal processor, “which was a big step
toward improved diver audio,” he said.
“Now it can be so clear, you can’t tell
it’s a diver. But you don’t want to com-
pletely take out the bubbles, breathing
sounds and the other noises that make
it real for listeners.”
You need to know how to clear the
mask if it oods (and they do), also
how to speak clearly and with proper
breathing and how to do it all with
calmness and assurance so you won’t
freak out the people watching,” said
Brittsan. “So if you’re going to invest
in the technology, make sure you’re
prepared to invest in the time and
“The microphone can be tricky and has to be
adjusted for each diver ... while you don’t want
mask and breathing sounds to overwhelm
what the diver is saying, you also don’t want
the presentation sounding like it’s taking place
in a conference room.”
©MontereyBayAquarium/TysonRininger
©JohnBarber](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/488499c2-5b12-4874-8cee-fd782b942285-160714153936/85/june2015_final-32-320.jpg)
june2015_final
- 1. A publication ofthe Association of Zoos & Aquariums JUNE2015 GallonsofFun FULL FACE MASK TECHNOLOGY Engaging Visitors in Dive Presentations BREAKING NEW GROUND The Chicago Zoological Society and Social Innovation BY THE NUMBERS AZA and Cetacean Conservation EnvironmentallyResponsible Water Management
- 3. June 2015 |www.aza.org 1 Features June 2015 18 Gallons of Fun Whether aquariums source their water from the city or the ocean, conservation of this natural resource is top of mind among staff at Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited facilities. BY MARY ELLEN COLLINS 24 Full Face Mask Technology Scuba divers in aquarium exhibits have been a crowd- pleaser for many years, but with the advent of full face mask technology allowing the diver to interact with the audience, the “wow” factor has gone up. BY LANCE FRAZER 32 The Chicago Zoological Society Breaks New Ground With Social Innovation The Chicago Zoological Society-BrookƓeld Zoo recently became the Ɠrst AZA-accredited facility to launch a high-impact, facility-wide Social Innovation initiative. BYAMELIA OROZCO
- 5. 13 Member View Departments June2015 | www.aza.org 3 VISIT USONLINE aza.org LIKE USON FACEBOOK facebook.com/Association OfZoosAndAquariums FOLLOW USON TWITTER twitter.com/zoos_aquariums E-MAIL THE EDITOR tlewthwaite@aza.org Editorial policy: Connect is published by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), a nonproƓt, tax-exempt organization dedicated to the advance- ment of zoological parks and aquariums for conser- vation, education, scientiƓc studies and recreation. Issued to members as a free service; not available as a subscription. Mailed during the Ɠrst week of the month. Articles submitted for Connect do not necessarily reŴect the opinions and policies of AZA. Mission: Connect is a forum for promoting AZA’s mission by highlighting zoo and aquarium trends, industry initiatives, conservation efforts and member 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 tlewthwaite@aza.org. 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 Ɠrst of the month preceding publication. Deadline for artwork is the 10th of the month preceding publication. Rates and mechanical requirements are available upon request. 11 7 Green Tales The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre’s sustainability story starts with conservation of aquatic life through education, research and direct action. 8 Conservation Spotlight Woodland Park Zoo saves animals and their habitats through conservation leadership and engaging experiences, inspiring people to learn, care and act. 9 Pizzazz in Print The Sacramento Zoo’s Browse campaign informed local residents that many of their tree trimmings could help feed the Zoo’s animals. 10 Development The Feinstein Foundation announced a major gift to Mystic Aquarium. 11 Conservation Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute open new rescue lab for endangered amphibians in Panama. 12 Animal Health John G. Shedd Aquarium has teamed up with Walgreens Pharmacy to create a partnership that provides on-demand access to preventive care medicine and supplements. 12 By the Numbers AZA and cetacean conservation. 13 Study Reveals Chimpanzee Determination and Innovation A Lincoln Park Zoo study reveals chimpanzees will travel a distance for preferred food sources. 14 Research This month’s selection of what has been published. 42 Faces & Places 45 Calendar 47 Exhibits 48 Announcements 49 Advertiser Index 60 Births & Hatchings 10 A publication of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums JUNE2015 GallonsofFun FULL FACE MASK TECHNOLOGY Engaging Visitors in Dive Presentations BREAKING NEW GROUND The Chicago Zoological Society and Social Innovation BY THE NUMBERS AZA and Cetacean Conservation EnvironmentallyResponsible Water Management About the cover Denison Barb ©TennesseeAquarium/ToddStailey
- 6. 4 www.aza.org |June 2015 Dennis E. Pate Executive Director and CEO Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium EDITOR Tim Lewthwaite ASSISTANT EDITOR Jennifer Fields REDESIGN AND ART DIRECTION LTD Creative GRAPHIC DESIGNER Lisa Cadigan, Cadigan Creative ADVERTISING Gina Velosky (301) 562-0777, ext. 254, gvelosky@aza.org EDITORIAL BOARD Thom Benson | Tennessee Aquarium Julie Larsen-Maher | Wildlife Conservation Society Tim Lewthwaite | Editor Kristin L. Vehrs | Executive Director President and CEO Jim Maddy Executive Director Kristin L. Vehrs Chief Operating Of cer Jill Nicoll Senior Vice President of Conservation R & D and Policy Paul Boyle, PhD Senior Vice President of Conservation and Science Debborah Luke, PhD Senior Vice President of External Affairs Rob Vernon Senior Vice President of Finance Phil Wagner Vice President, Principal Gifts and Campaign Director for SAFE Alison Davitt Vice President of Animal Programs Candice Dorsey, PhD Vice President, Conferences and Membership Melissa Howerton Vice President of Congressional Affairs Jennifer Keaton Vice President of Accreditation Programs Denny Lewis Vice President of Federal Relations Steve Olson For a full listing of AZA’s staff, visit www.aza.org/about-aza AZA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Dennis E. Pate | Executive Director and CEO, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium Chair Elect Steve Burns | Director, Zoo Boise Vice Chair Dennis W. Kelly | Director, Smithsonian National Zoological Park Past Chair Jackie Ogden, PhD | Vice President, Animals, Science and Environment, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Directors Jim Breheny | Executive Vice President and General Director, Zoos and Aquarium, Jonathan Little Cohen Director of the Bronx Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society Lynn B. Clements | Director, Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center Jim Hekkers | Managing Director, Monterey Bay Aquarium Gregg Hudson | Executive Director and Chief Executive OfƓcer, Dallas Zoo Management, Inc. Steve Marshall | Zoo Director, El Paso Zoo Amos Morris | Zoo Director,Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden Douglas G. Myers | President and CEO, San Diego Zoo Global Craig Pugh | CEO, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo Peggy Sloan | Director, North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher Saving Animals From Extinction Endangered Species Day in May marked the launch of SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction, an ambitious commitment by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited community to save some of the world’s most vulnerable species. On launch day, AZA-accredited facilities across the country temporarily took many endangered species “o exhibit,” making a dramatic statement about how impoverished the planet would be without these animals. It also highlighted the important role that AZA-accredited facilities play in their communities in bringing awareness about these animals to the public. In the coming years, SAFE will build on the AZA-accredited zoo and aquar- ium community’s existing eld conser- vation, animal husbandry and education programs to engage our 180 million visitors in an inclusive e ort to target spe- ci c endangered species. e initial focus of SAFE will be on eight species and two groups of animals: African penguins, Asian elephants, black rhinos, cheetahs, gorillas, sea turtles, sharks, vaquitas, Western pond turtles and whooping cranes. en, each year for the next decade, we are committed to adding 10 additional species to our focus, provided resources and circumstances allow us to do so. e AZA community, through SAFE and the Conservation Action Plan (CAP) process, will convene scientists and stakeholders to identify threats to these species, develop action plans, raise new resources and engage the public. e CAP process is well underway, with stakeholder meetings having already been held for African penguins and Western pond turtles, and plans for a cheetah meeting to take place later this year. It should not be lost, however, that AZA-accredited facilities already invest $160 million in eld conservation work each year to save endangered wildlife and endangered habitats. When you combine this impressive statistic with more than 600 animal pro- grams, including the iconic Species Survival Plans®(SSP) the AZA-accredited aquarium and zoo community manages, it is readily apparent that we are places that work to save a wide range of species from extinction.
- 7. Havean Exhibit likethis? HaveanExhibit likethis? Havean Exhibit likethis? N eed To R e-dr ess Your N est? N ET S Unlimited,Inc. 866-NETS-R-US(638-7787) ◊ www.netsunlimited.com ◊ AZROC #236070 •••Imagining theAlter N E T ives ••• Contact theNets Unlimited team tohelpmakeyour budget dollars gofurther during thesedifficult economic times. Weoffer a widerangeof materials & installation options tospruceup your existing facility. Wespecializein exhibits, pedestrian paths, children’s play areas, bridges and animal enrichment products. Let us helpyou quickly convert your old, dull, and worn exhibit intosomething Vibrant and exciting. Regardless of your budget, contact us today tosee what wecan dofor your zoo. Before After (Houston ZooHornbill exhibit) Want onelike Want onelike Want onelikethis?this?this?
- 8. 6 www.aza.org |June 2015
- 9. June 2015 |www.aza.org 7 In Vancouver,British Columbia,theVan- couver Aquarium MarineScienceCentre’s sustainabilitystorystartswith itsraison d’être – conservation ofaquaticlifethrough education, research and direct action – and tricklesallthe waydown to thecompostingand recycling strategiesit teachesScoutsand GirlGuides duringtheir Aquarium sleepovers. ereare,ofcourse,operationalneedsthat must bemet,but webalancethoseneedswith theunderstandingthat conservation iskey to thehealth offuturegenerations.Wehavea structured framework for managingour envi- ronmentalperformance,and weconstantlyset newobjectivesand targetsto drivecontinual improvement.In 2009,theAquarium was registered to InternationalOrganization for Standardization (ISO) 14001,an international standard for environmentalmanagement sys- tems(EMS),and wasthe rst aquarium in the world to achievethat standard.It wascerti ed again for another threeyearsin 2012and again in 2015. It took time to establish our principles, programs and procedures. It has required leadership from our management team, as well as dedication from our sta , and a will- ingness to change from our guests, young and old. In addition to o eringour visitorsaccess 365daysa year to our facility,wearealways tryingto identifynewopportunitiesto connect peoplewith thenaturalworld and identify opportunitiesfor reducingtheir environmental footprint.When Scoutsand Guidesvisit as part ofour Sleepover program,theybecome an honorarymember oftheAquarium’sgreen team for thenight and put what theylearned about environmentalsustainabilitytoward earninga badgefor their camp reblanket. Duringtheseevents,our goalisgenerating zero wasteto theland ll,which reallyhits homefor thechildren astheyseetheimpact an individualcan haveon theenvironment and its connection to thelarger picture. Our dedication to generating awareness about sustainabilityextends to all ages and events. Whether it’s an intimate plated dinner for 50 guests or a standing cocktail reception for 2,000 people, our catering and events team strives to use sustainablysourced food through farm-to-table supplynetworks, eliminate waste to land ll and o er an oppor- tunityto further reduce the environmental Green Tales Education on SustainabilityStarts from theAquarium ‘Camp Ground’Up By Jacob Clemens Ocean Wise™ mussels are used in Vancouver Aquarium’s kitchen.
- 10. 8 www.aza.org |June 2015 footprint ofthe occasion byo ering Return to Earth events. e seafood our kitchen uses is Ocean Wise™, both because it’s the most responsible, delicious option and because we’re determined to spread the word about our highlysuccessful sustainable seafood program, now celebrating its 10th year. e Ocean Wise symbol next to a seafood item is the Vancouver Aquarium’s assurance ofan ocean-friendlychoice. Asa result,organizationso en contact us a er their event for guidanceon implementing sustainabilitymeasuresat homeor at their placeofbusiness—howour WasteManage- ment program works,for example,or howto ensurethat their own eventsareOcean Wise. From therainwater harvested to ush the toiletsin our LEED®Gold Certi ed Aquaquest facility,to thecompostablecontainersand cutleryfrom our café,our goalisto bea model organization in environmentalresponsibility. Wepromotesustainabilitywithin our own workforce,in our communityand to our visi- torsfrom around theworld,becauseno matter what our age,gender or badgelevel,theearth needsusallto begood scouts. Jacob Clemensisthe Vancouver Aquarium’sManager of Sustainability. Conservation Spotlight Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo’s Mission Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Wash., saves animals and their habitats through conser- vation leadership and engaging experiences, inspiring people to learn, care and act. Conservation Efforts Conservation is the heart of Woodland Park Zoo’s mission, with a focus on projects in the Paci c Northwest and around the world. Working with conservationists and researchers, Woodland Park Zoo focuses on a conservation strategy that includes: habitat and species conservation, research, educa- tion, local capacity building and community support. “Our eld projects strengthen our zoo-based education and animal programs, inspiring our guests to take conservation action,” said Fred Koontz, vice president of eld conservation. ese collaborations are divided into three eld programs at the Zoo: • Living Northwest: Linking animal conser- vation, ecohealth and sustainability in our bioregion. • Partners for Wildlife: Creating “living landscapes” for wildlife and people. • Wildlife Survival Fund: Investing in en- dangered species before it’s too late. Woodland Park Zoo Conservation Facts • Since 1990, Woodland Park Zoo has been involved in the conservation of western pond turtles. In collaboration with Wash- ington Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Oregon Zoo, the Zoo’s leadership on the project has helped to reverse the fate of this native turtle, increasing its wild pop- ulation from 150 turtles to approximately 800 today. • In 2012, the Zoo and Panthera estab- lished a 10-year, $1 million partnership to enhance tiger conservation in Peninsular Malaysia, as part of Panthera’s Tigers Forever Program. In concert with the National Tiger Action Plan of Malaysia, the program aims to strengthen tiger survival by identifying core populations and mitigating threats from poaching and habitat fragmentation. e project team is working cooperatively with Malaysia’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks and local conservation non-pro ts and scientists. • Woodland Park Zoo Senior Conservation Fellow, Dr. Robert Long, is expanding the Zoo’s wildlife science and conservation
- 12. 10 www.aza.org |June 2015 e Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Conn., and the Alan Shawn Feinstein Foundation have announced a major gi in support of expanding opportunities for students in Rhode Island and other Southern New England states. e $250,000 gi will be used by Mystic Aquarium toward construction of a new Ocean Conservation and Research Center and provide access to Mystic Aquarium for an estimated 60,000 Rhode Island students from low-income serving schools and youth centers annually over the next decade who are part of the Fein- stein Jr. Scholars program. e planned Ocean Conservation and Research Center at Mystic Aquarium will include student laboratories, veterinary exam and operating rooms and biological research laboratories. “ is facility will be the place where many hundreds of seals and other marine animals that we rescue every year along the Rhode Island coast will get needed medical attention before being released back into the wild,” said Dr. Stephen M. Coan, presi- dent and chief executive o cer of Mystic Aquarium. “Most importantly, Feinstein Jr. Scholars and other students will be able to work side by side with our veterinarians and research scientists in learning about and caring for aquatic animals.” e partnership announcement coin- cides with the grand opening of a major new exhibit at Mystic Aquarium, Explora- tion: Wild, which immerses visitors in ve di erent ecosystems, including a rainforest, a polar region, a desert, swamps and a shark habitat. e exhibit includes the debut of American alligators and hands-on experi- ences with other reptiles and animals. Students in the Feinstein Jr. Scholar pro- gram pledge to adhere to the ethos of “doing good deeds” for others in their community in order to gain membership. e program operates in more than 156 schools in Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts. Feinstein Jr. Scholars will be entitled to three visits to Mystic Aquarium per year with a guest of their choice until they reach the age of 16. “We want to provide a means for encouraging young people by rewarding them for doing good and to provide op- portunities for young people who may not ordinarily be able to visit such a wonder- ful place as Mystic Aquarium,” said Alan Shawn Feinstein. “Mystic Aquarium has been a great partner with the Feinstein Jr. Scholars program for many years. But this solidi es that partnership well into the future and will also give our Jr. Scholars access to an exciting new facility where they can go deeper in their learning.” “Alan Shawn Feinstein is revered throughout New England as someone who cares deeply about young people and their future,” added Dr. Coan. “It is hard to imagine a young person in Rhode Island who has not heard of the Feinstein Jr. Scholars program or met Alan Feinstein in person or seen him on public television. He is beloved, and we are honored to be associated with him and his family foun- dation to expand learning opportunities for young people.” Development Feinstein Foundation Announces Major Gi to Mystic Aquarium Gi Supports Ocean Conservation and Research Center and Learning Partnership for Feinstein Jr. Scholars
- 13. Conservation New Rescue Labfor Endangered Amphibians Opens in Panama Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) scientists working together as part of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project (PARC) opened a new safe haven for endangered amphibians on 8 April. e state-of-the-art, $1.2 million amphibian center at STRI’s Gamboa eld station is the largest amphibian conservation facility of its kind in the world. e new center expands on the capacity of the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center to implement a national strategy to conserve Panama’s amphibian biodiversity by creating captive assurance populations. Panama is a biodiversity hotspot for amphibians with more than 200 species of frogs, salamanders and caecilians. For the past 20 years, however, many of Panama’s unique and endemic amphibian species have declined or disappeared as a result of the deadly chytrid fungus that has spread throughout Latin America and the Caribbe- an. In fact, a third of amphibian species in Panama are considered threatened or endan- gered. Amphibian conservationists around the world have been working to establish captive populations of the world’s most vul- nerable amphibian species to safeguard them from extinction. “Our biggest challenge in the race to save tropical amphibians has been the lack of capacity,” said Brian Gratwicke, amphibian scientist at SCBI and international coordi- nator of PARC. “ is facility will allow us to do so much more. We now have the space needed to safeguard some of Panama’s most vulnerable and beautiful amphibians and to conduct the research needed to reintroduce them back to the wild.” e center features a working lab for scientists, a quarantine space for frogs col- lected from the wild and amphibian rescue pods capable of holding up to 10 species of frogs. In the working lab, SCBI scientists will continue research focusing on things like a cure for chytrid. ey published ndings last month in Proceedings ofthe Royal Society showing that certain Panamanian golden frogs were able to survive infection with chytrid as a result of a unique skin-microbe community already living on their skin. Seven amphibian rescue pods house the amphibian collection and colonies of insects needed to feed them. Amphibian rescue pods are constructed from recycled shipping containers that were once used to move fro- zen goods around the world and through the Panama Canal; they have been retro tted to become mini-ecosystems with customized terrariums for each frog species. “Our project is helping implement the action plan for amphibian conservation in Panama, authored by Panama’s National En- vironmental Authority—now Environment Ministry—in 2011,” said Roberto Ibañez, STRI project director for PARC. “ is is only possible thanks to the interest in con- servation of amphibian biodiversity by the government of Panama and the support we have received from businesses in Panama.” e new rescue lab will be crucial to ongoing breeding e orts and breakthroughs, such as the successful hatching of an And- inobates geminisae froglet. SCBI and STRI scientists hatched the rst A. geminisae froglet in human care in one of the amphibian rescue pods at the existing Gamboa amphibian conservation center. e tiny poison frog species, smaller than a dime, was discovered and described for the rst time in Panama in 2014. ey simu- lated breeding conditions in a rescue pod. e new facility will provide much-needed space to grow and expand, allowing them to build assurance populations for many more species. A small exhibition niche provides a window directly into an active rescue pod, where visitors can see rescued frogs and scientists as they work to conserve these endangered frogs. PARC is a partnership between the Houston Zoo in Houston, Texas, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Spring, Colo., Zoo New England in Mass., SCBI and STRI. Funding for the new facilities was provided by Defenders of Wildlife, Frank and Susan Mars, Minera Panama, the National Science Foundation and USAID. As a research facility, PARC is not open to the public. However, there are interpre- tive panels and a window into the research pod where visitors can get a glimpse of the project in action. To learn more, the public is welcome to visit the new Fabulous Frogs of Panama exhibit at the Smithsonian’s Punta Culebra Nature Center, located on the Amador Causeway. June 2015 | www.aza.org 11
- 14. 12 www.aza.org |June 2015 Animal Health Shedd Aquarium and Walgreens Partner to Create On-Demand Prescription Delivery for Aquatic Animal Residents John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chica- go, Ill., a pioneer in aquatic animal health and medicine, has teamed up with Walgreens Pharmacy to create a rst-of-its-kind partnership that pro- vides on-demand access to preven- tive care medicine and supplements for its 32,000 animal residents. e A.Watson Armour III Center for Aquatic Health and Welfare at Shedd is one ofthe largest full-scale animal hospitals in the country, caring for the more than 1,500 species – each with signi cantlydi erent physiological pro les and responses to medications and treatments. In an e ort to continue to provide the best care for its animals while reducing pharmaceutical waste in line with the Aquar- ium’s robust sustainabilityinitiatives, the Aquarium turned to national pharmacylead- er and longtime Shedd supporter, Walgreens. “We’re focused on providing the best care for our animals at Shedd, so expand- ing our partnership with Walgreens was a natural t for us when looking for ways to continue to provide reliable preventive care while furthering our mission of sustainabil- ity,” said Bill Van Bonn, DVM, vice presi- dent of animal health for Shedd Aquarium. “We found that because our animals are healthy, stock medication o en went unused and eventually expired, leading to unnecessary waste. When we presented this challenge to Walgreens, they stepped up to work with us to nd a solution that would meet both the health and safety needs of our animals and our commitment to reduc- ing environmental impact.” Since the launch of the program pilot late last summer, Shedd has already seen a 25 percent reduction in inventory and an estimated 50 percent decrease in sta time to manage pharmacy inventory. A critical part of animal care includes preventive examinations for all of Shedd’s animals – similar to the way humans receive regular physical assessments, dental checkups and eye and prenatal exams. For every animal group, from corals to sea jellies and beluga whales to stingrays, the regular checkups help monitor for changes in health and behavior and help Shedd’s veterinarians identify and address issues before they occur. When necessary, medica- tion or supplements are provided as part of individual routine care. “Whether drops for a baby sea otter’s gassy stomach or preventive care probiotics for an aging iguana, our sta can now easily ll a prescription and have it hand-deliv- ered by the Walgreens pharmacy at North- western Memorial Hospital,” Van Bonn said. “Shedd o ers around-the-clock care to its animals and has teams in place should an emergency occur. e few medications that we do still keep ‘on-the-shelf’are there to ensure we can respond immediately if needed. So whether we are caring for an animal at the Aquarium – or our rescue and rehabilitation team needs access to a critical medication hundreds of miles away – this new ability to have what we need, right when we need it, is tremendous.” Sustainabilityis a priorityin everydepart- ment at Shedd, from water- and energy-con- serving exhibits to the pesticide-free gardens that growfood for the animals. Innovation in aquatic medicine is just one of11 operational areas in which the Aquarium has committed to improving sustainable practices. By the Numbers Cet a c ea n Co n ser va t io n More than million was directed to cetacean conservation in the wild between 2010 and 2013
- 15. Research Study at LincolnPark Zoo Reveals Chimpanzee Determination and Innovation Just as humans will travel to their favor- ite restaurant, chimpanzees will travel a farther distance for preferred food sources in non-wild habitats, according to a new study from scientists at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Ill., that was published in March 2015 in the journal PEERJ. Chimpanzees at Lincoln Park Zoo prefer grapes over carrots. Previous research at the Zoo provided that insight into food prefer- ences. Now, a 15-month study, led byLydia Hopper, PhD, ofthe Lester Fisher Center for the Studyand Conservation ofApes at Lincoln Park Zoo, suggests that the apes are willing to travel further to get the food they prefer. is is the rst studyofits kind in a zoo setting, and the results compare nicelyto similar research on wild chimpanzees. In order to receive a food reward, the chimpanzees had to collect tokens, or small lengths of PVC pipe, from a single location. e chimpanzees could then exchange the tokens with researchers at one of two locations – a close location with a carrot reward or a far location(s) with a grape reward. By the third phase (30 ses- sions per phase), as a group, the chimpan- zees preferred to travel further in order to get the better food item (grapes). “It was quite fascinating to see the developments between each of the three phases of the token exchange study,” said Hopper. “In addition to learning about food preferences and proximity, we also observed innovative, problem-solving behavior among the chimpanzees.” Interestingly, the rst chimpanzee to discover the better reward being o ered at the far location was a female named Chuckie, who is the lowest-status female in the group. e far location may have been preferred for not only its food reward but also because it gave her an opportunity to avoid competition from higher-status chim- panzees at the close location. Additionally, alpha male chimpanzee, Hank, observed the other apes and learned the bene ts of the far location, thus exchanging 100 percent of his tokens at the far, preferred food location. “All ofthe chimpanzees in this study demonstrated exible foraging strategies with minimal scrounging from one another,” said Hopper. “Understanding the animals’ preferences and exploration oftheir habitat is critical to caring for these animals.” By the Numbers AZA-accredited aquariums and zoos supported cetacean conservation. 25 SigniƓcant funds were directed toward marine mammal strand- ing networks and rescue and rehabilitation efforts, primarily in the United States but also internationally. Many additional projects fo- cused on cetacean health, often in relation to ecosystem health and exposure to contaminants such as oil, pesticides, mercury and marine debris. At least 23 cetacean species bene- Ɠted from this work, with the most species-speciƓc efforts directed toward the North Atlantic right whale, bottlenose dolphin and the beluga whale. 23 The Marine Mammal Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) manages eight Species Survival Plan® (SSP) programs. Cet a c ea n Co n ser va t io n June 2015 | www.aza.org 13
- 16. 14 www.aza.org |June 2015 How Modern Zoos Communicate With Visitors Researchers combined an online ques- tionnaire with case studies to examine how zoos provide educational information to their visitors. One hundred seven- ty-six zoos from 50 countries returned the questionnaire; nine of those zoos enabled direct observation and face- to-face interviews on site with zoo sta and visitors. Questionnaire respondents identi ed signage, pamphlets, worksheets, sta presentations, animal shows, animal contact areas and formal/informal conver- sations with volunteers as interpretive and educational tactics. Exhibit signage was the most prevalent medium, and 95 percent of visitors reported reading at least some exhibit signage. More than 70 percent of participating zoos used person-to-person education, and 54 percent reported having animal shows. However, the comparison of case study data to questionnaire responses for each of the nine case study institutions revealed that institutions frequently failed to report educational programs and/ or tactics; this under reporting may be attributable to some institutions using too narrow a de nition of education. One key nding of the case studies was that sta and volunteers involved in person-to-per- son educational tactics were typically ill prepared to provide even basic informa- tion on animals and zoo facilities. Notably absent from case studies was signi cant use of technology as a means of interact- ing with zoo visitors. e unique social, cultural and economic situations of the participating zoos highlighted that their context needs to be considered to commu- nicate most e ectively with visitors. Roe,K,McConney,A,and Mansfield,CF. 2014.How do zoos‘talk’to their general visitors?Do visitors‘listen’?Amixed meth- od investigation of thecommunication between modern zoosand their general visitors.AustralianJournal of Environmental Education,30,167 -186.Correspondence to KatieRoeat katie.roe@westnet.com.au. Research Impact ofGPSTracking Deviceson Elephant Behavior Tracking devices such as GPSor “radio” collars are assumed to have negligible e ects on animal behaviors, particularly temporal and spatial patterns of activity. is study examined the e ects of wearing GPScollars on the behavior of eight African elephants housed at a safari park in the United States. A structured, positive reinforcement process was used to desensitize the animals to collars and train them to participate in the attachment and removal of the procedures. Observations were made at night and during daylight. Nineteen behavioral categories were used to compare behavioral patterns with and without the collars. Although there were 12 instances of animals touching the collar of another animal, no signi cant dif- ferences were found between the behaviors with and without the collars. e results indicate that, with training, GPScollars may have minimal impacts on animal behaviors. Horback,KM,Miller,LJ,Andrews,J, Kuczaj II,SA,Anderson,M.2012.The effectsof GPScollarson African ele- phant (Loxodonta africana) behavior at the San Diego Safari Park. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 142: 76-81. Correspondence to Kristina Horback at Kristina.horback@eagles.usm.edu or km.horback@gmail.com.
- 17. June 2015 |www.aza.org 15 E ectiveness of Demonstration Programs Zoo or aquarium demonstrationsinvolving animalbehaviorsor carecan encourage nancialsupport,foster emotionalconnec- tionsand increaseknowledgeofvisitorswho observethem. isstudyused 336pre- and post-demonstration evaluationsto examine visitor responsesto two typesofdemonstra- tion involvinglowland gorillas:trainingand cognitiveresearch usingtouch screens. ese demonstrationsareregularlyscheduled in a publicviewingarea.Visitorsviewingeither demonstration had increased understanding ofcareand research involvingapesthan those who had not witnessed a demonstration. Somewhat surprisingly,therewasno di erence between visitorswho viewed thetrainingvs. theresearch/touch screen usedemonstrations. However,within thoseresults,groupswith children displayed greater understandingof careand research and greater enjoyment than did thosewithout children. estudyempha- sizesthepotentialfor animaldemonstrations to inform and changevisitor attitudesand suggeststhat theinteraction between sta and animals,rather than thecontent ofthedemon- stration,maybethemost criticalin uenceon visitor attitudesand perceptions. Price,A,Boeving,ER,Shender,MA,and Ross,SR.2015.Understanding theeffective- nessof demonstration programs.Journal of Museum Education,40,46-54.Correspon- denceto Allison Priceat aprice@lpzoo.org. Using GPSto Evaluate Relationships Among Social Animals GPScollarswereused to monitor temporal and spatialactivitypatternsand positive/ negativeinteractionswithin a group ofeight African elephantsat a safari park in theUnited States.Averagedistancesbetween individuals werecalculated for nine24hour periods. ese data werecompared with management sta perceptionsofanimalsthat wereexpected to spend high levelsoftimein closeproximity. GPSdata validated most preconceived notions about which animalswerein closeproximity and therateofpositivesocialinteractions. e resultsindicatethat GPStechnologycan be used to examineand monitor individualinter- actionsin largespacesand mayaid in research and management byreducingtheextent and/ or need for direct observations. Hacker,CE,Horback,KM,Miller,LJ.2015. GPStechnology asaproxy tool for deter- mining relationshipsin social animals: an example with African elephants.Applied Animal Behaviour Science 163: 175-182. Correspondence to Charlotte E.Hacker at charlotte.hacker230@topper.wku.edu. Suggested Amounts in Fundraising Asks isstudyconducted an experiment to examinehowa direct ask for a certain amount ofmoneyimpactsfundraisingsuccess. e experiment waswithin a tele-fundraisingini- tiativeaimed at universityalumni. edesign was:no suggested amount,a suggestion of$20, a personalized suggestion (e.g.,$20.03for the classof2003);each oftheseoptionswaso ered with or without a 1:1matchinggi .Although almost 50percent morepeopleresponded to the$20suggestion,theaveragegi was reduced from the“no ask”approach such that totaland per capita revenuesweresimilar for $20vs.no ask.Onepotentiallyimportant result ofthistest isthat while28.6percent of pledgesabove$20werenot honored in theno ask scenario,allofthepledgesabove$20were honored when theask was$20. epersonal- ized ask outperformed no ask and the$20ask, includingwhen thepersonalized ask was$20 (classof2000).Matchingincreased thenum- ber ofdonorsand thetotalrevenuesbut not signi cantly. estudyprovidessupport for speci cask amounts,particularlywith respect to recruiting/retainingdonors. eauthors notethat determiningtheoptimalask amount isa trickybalancebetween moredonations and reduction ofsomedonation amountsfrom thosewho might donatemorethan theask if no amount issuggested. Edwards,T,List,JA.2014.Toward an understanding of whysuggestionswork in charitable fundraising: Theoryand evidence from anatural Ɠeld experiment. Journal of PublicEconomics114: 1-13. Correspondence to John List at Jlist@uchi- cago.edu.For related studieson fundrais- ing and charitable giving,visit the Science of Philanthropysite at http://spihub.org. Did you see?
- 18. 16 www.aza.org |June 2015
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- 20. 18 www.aza.org |June 201518 www.aza.org | June 2015 “Back in the day, the thought was always, ‘If you’re not sure what’s going on in an aquarium, do a water change,’” said Thom Demas, curator of Ɠshes and manag- er of life support systems at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tenn. The 22-year veteran has seen that approach evolve as aquarium professionals have become much more sensitive to the impact of water supply and disposal on the environment and on the budget. BYMARYELLEN COLLINS Environmentally Responsible Water Management
- 22. 20 www.aza.org |June 201520 www.aza.org | June 2015 hether aquariums source their water from the city or the ocean, conservation of this natural resource is top of mind among the sta at Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited facilities across the country. While some have implemented new approaches, De- mas sees room for even more new ideas and strategies. “We all want to know how you make your environment more stable and healthy. It’s really quite an e ort to rep- licate what Mother Nature does so well, and that makes us push the envelope, and that means we’re going to learn new things. Managing an aquarium as an ecosystem requires a lot of learning.” The Ups and Downs of DenitriƓcation Demas has spent the past few years implementing a system for the Tennes- see Aquarium that can eliminate the need for a water change by replicating the “other half of the nitrogen cycle,” or removing nitrates from aquarium water. “In nature, there is bacteria in ma- rine sediments to attack nitrates. If you can get a heterotrophic bacteria culture going, you can break the nitrates down to remove them. I would love to never have to do a water change,” said Demas. His team implemented a denitri cation system for their big tank in 2009, and because it has worked intermittently since then, he is in the process of redesigning it. Despite how logical the denitri cation process looks on paper, replicating it in an aquarium is a challenge that not many facilities have undertaken. “First, as with any LSScomponent, each tank needs its own system, which may require moving things and reallo- cating space, and many zoos and aquariums aren’t out tted to support it. Secondly, heterotrophic denitri cation, the type most commonly used for a long time in the industry, has a track record of being an operations nightmare and not user-friendly,” said Andy Aiken, director of life support, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Md. “Heterotrophic bacteria grow so rapidly, it clogs and gums up the works, and it smells.” Since 2011, Aiken has focused his e orts on re ning an autotrophic denitri cation process originally designed for small exhibits by aquarists at the Aquarium de la Porte Dorée in Paris, France. Autotrophic denitri cation systems aren’t burdened with the massive bio-growth that hetero- trophic systems provide; however, autotrophic systems can take up a lot of space—too much space to be useful on a large aquarium exhibit. “To increase e ciency and make it small enough to work on large exhibits, I increased the ow rate upward through the lter beds to keep them uidized and well-mixed and use pressure-rated lter vessels and an aggressive backwash schedule to maintain thin bio lms. in bio lms maximize nutrient (nitrate) transport to the bacteria,” said Aiken. e Aquarium has already implemented a denitri cation system for two tanks and has plans to do the same for remaining tanks one at a time. Conservation in the Desert For sta at the Albuquerque Biological Park’s Aquarium in Albuquerque, N.M., their desert location made water conservation particularly important. In addition to recycling their aquarium water, which contains good sh waste, into the surrounding small wetlands, they included plans for salt water recovery in their initial aquarium design. “From the beginning, we looked at being able to conserve as much water as we could,” said Rich Lerner, cu- rator of shes at the Albuquerque BioPark. “We developed a holding system for salt water and put it in place when the Aquarium was built. is system was an additional expense, but it enabled us to recover backwash water from the sand lters, collect it and reuse it. Over the long haul, “Weall wanttoknowhowyoumakeyour environmentmorestableandhealthy. It’sreallyquiteanefforttoreplicatewhat MotherNaturedoessowell ...”
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- 24. 22 www.aza.org |June 2015 you can recoup the costs through the reduction of buying and shipping the salt.” ey are also currently consid- ering a plan to recycle the water they drain when cleaning the gravel in small tanks by using it to water the plants outside the Aquarium. Lerner is also focusing on water-re- lated energy conservation as a cost-sav- ing measure. “When we’re running all of the pumps in our big tank and lighting it with 1,000 watt metal halide lights we are generating a lot of heat, so we need chillers to keep the water at the right temperature. I’m changing over our lighting to LED lights which do not radiate heat into the water like the metal halides do. is means less cooling, less energy expenditure and less costs to manage the tank.” Conservation on the Coast Proximity to the water source doesn’t make conservation e orts any easier, as evidenced by the unique challenges facing the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, Calif., which has an open seawater system. “Fresh water on the Peninsula has been an issue for a long time, so we’re pretty far ahead of the curve,” said Roger Phillips, director of applied research at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. One of the facility’s water-saving initiatives involves using a stainless steel drum screen lter rather than a sand lter in a back ush recovery system located at the o -site Animal Research and Care Center. “We are among the rst to use it in seawater systems,” Phillips said. “A small sand lter might require 1,200 gallons for a good back ush cycle, and a drum screen would use less than 100 gallons. It’s more expensive, but it uses consider- ably less water.” Building a desalinization plant is a common way to address the need for fresh water when using an open seawater system. In 1995, the Aquarium added a new wing and installed a small desali- nation plant to make fresh water for bathrooms and all industrial equipment. Although there has been talk of enlarg- ing the plant, regulatory obstacles will present challenges. “If we want to use de-salinated water for anything other than industri- al purposes, we would need to obtain special permits because everyone in California wants to build one. Ours is a tiny little plant that only runs when the reservoir level goes down. Increasing the production of our desalinization plant is going to be di cult to get through the regulators. ey want to know how you’re going to get rid of the brine and what chemicals you’re using. All of the regulatory aspects of how you get water from the ocean and discharge the brine back to the ocean are formidable. Over the long term, nothing is going to be easy,” said Phillips. When Size Matters Even before Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Ga., was completed, those involved knew they would have to come up with a creative water recovery system. “Because of the unprecedented size of the Aquarium and the volume of water we would have, we knew we would overwhelm the municipal system with the typical industry standard ten percent per week water discharge rate,” said Eric Hall, Georgia Aquarium’s director of life support systems and water quality. To address this issue, they built ve salt water recovery systems into the de- sign of the Aquarium. Four systems are dedicated to one exhibit each, and the h is a multi-exhibit system. “Recovery systems aren’t new, but we’ve optimized them,” said Hall. “We’re very aggressive in the way we treat the ‘old water.’We rely on disinfection and denitri cation, which we do very, very well.” Life support professionals agree that there will be new challenges to meet and new regulations to follow, necessitating more creative solutions in the area of water conservation. Hall cites the fact that zoos and aquariums are much larger and with more aquatic habitats than they were 20 years ago, which means water management will become an even greater organizational and logistical challenge. He also emphasizes the need to remember that an answer to one prob- lem may present a new complication. “We’re all looking for creative solutions. We are going to have to keep studying our water and all trace com- ponents. Every time we do something to aquarium water, we always create a byproduct. ere is no free lunch.” Mary Ellen Collinsisa writer based in St.Petersburg,Fla. Lifesupportprofessionalsagree thattherewill benewchallenges tomeetandnewregulations tofollow,necessitatingmore creativesolutionsintheareaof waterconservation.
- 26. 24 www.aza.org |June 2015 © John Barber
- 27. June 2015 |www.aza.org 25 Engaging Visitorsin Dive Presentations Fu l l TECHNOLOGY BY LANCE FRAZER
- 28. 26 www.aza.org |June 2015 Scuba divers in aquarium exhibits have been a crowd-pleaser for many years, but with the advent of full face mask technology making the diver able to interact with the audience, what George Peterson, director of dive programs for Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, Calif., and others dub the “Wow” factor has gone up exponen- tially. “We’ve been using full face mask technology in our Kelp Forest exhibit for more than 20 years,” said Peterson. “We quickly found that upped the inquisitiveness of our guests, so as the technology became more readily available, it was a natural progression to make that connection.” Nine hundred miles up the coast, Je Christiansen, dive safety o cer for the Seattle Aquarium in Seattle, Wash., said “exit polls had told us that a diver in the water was one of the most popular features, so the next step was to build the connection between the guest and the environment within the exhibit. Put in a person you can actual- ly interact with, and it adds a priceless element of scale and connection.” Aquariums have had to make the choice between wireless communica- tion, which requires less supporting infrastructure but can have problems with aquarium topography, and hard- wired. Hardwired systems are popular in shows as they add an element of safety in addition to more consistent sound. “ e hardwired system,” Peterson believes, “delivers better and more consistent sound, and if the topside tender produces the show, that can [eliminate] the need for a dedicated sound tech. And because the sound cable is commingled with the topside air supply, you also have what is, in e ect, a dry-side ‘buddy’for the diver in the water.” Mike Brittsan, curator and dive safety o cer at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio, said his facility uses the full face mask tech- nology in their Indo-Paci c Discovery Reef exhibit, where diver presentations reach across the age spectrum. “First, it’s a way to engage kids,” he said. “ ey walk in and see (and hear) the person underwater, who is actually talking to them. e person in the water sounds a little like Darth Vader, and that can be really cool. “Because somebody speaking to you from underwater is di erent, peo- ple are engaged quickly. I mean, if you see someone standing there talking about turtles, that’s really not that new. But if the person talking about turtles is at the bottom of a 30-foot deep tank, feeding the turtles while they’re telling you about them, that’s a whole di erent thing.” Arnold Postell, dive safety o cer and senior biologist for the South Car- olina Aquarium in Charleston, S.C., echoes that sentiment. “Our large exhibits are the most popular, and just seeing a diver in the water gets people interested and involved,” he said. “You see kids’faces just light up, and if you can impact a kid to connect to the water, it makes delivering your educational message that much easier. And diving like this bridges the gap of the acrylic window and the world of the ocean as well.” “We try to tailor the content to be accessible to everyone; not focusing on kids or adults, but nding that area in between,” Peterson said. “Make the science accessible, and you’ll make the connection with the kids, with the parents or grandparents who are there with the kids and with the adults there on their own. Our goal is to inspire everyone to love and have a sense of wonderment for the critters in the ocean, and a well-conducted dive presentation can do just that.” A feeding presentation ups the in- terest level, Peterson said. “You attract the attention of the guests, and then, you can build the fascination with a particular ecosystem and its popu- lation. is helps people care about the animals and the health of their environment.” “We can have a diver talking about the coral reef in the exhibit, and how it’s not a real coral reef, in spite of how realistic it looks,” said Holly Bourbon, curator of large- sh exhibits at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Md. “And we can talk about why it isn’t
- 29. June 2015 |www.aza.org 27 real, about how hard coral is to care for and about how the removal of so much coral would devastate the natural ecosystem, and that, too, helps bring home the conservation message.” At the Aquarium of the Paci c in Long Beach, Calif., Vice President of Husbandry Perry Hampton said, “We do four to six shows at each of two exhibits [the Honda Blue Cavern and the Tropical Reef habitat] every day. We can be cleaning, or feeding … it doesn’t seem to matter because the audience is immediately engaged. Once that happens, then you can work in your message – extreme weather events, the impact of climate change, sustainability or whatever.” Full face mask technology, most agree, can also be a valuable tool in other areas of aquarium operation. Peterson said Monterey Bay uses it for tank maintenance and animal study. Wireless technology can also be valu- able, several divers said, if you’re in water where you can’t clearly see your dive buddy, or when you’re moving large animals. Bourbon said her facility has been using it in the set-up of their new Blacktip Reef shark exhibit. “We’ve been using the Guardian Full Face Masks as part ofour diving program with the sta and in anticipa- tion ofusing them for our education communication talks,”she said. “ ese same masks, without the communica- tion microphone component, can also be used for exhibit dives in which the diver needs extra protection.” “Just seeing a diver in the water gets people interested and involved ... You see kids’ faces just light up, and if you can impact a kid to connect to the water, it makes delivering your educational message that much easier.” © Tennessee Aquarium/Todd Stailey
- 30. 28 www.aza.org |June 2015 © National Aquarium
- 31. June 2015 |www.aza.org 29 In Tampa Bay, Fla., e Florida Aquarium Dive Safety O cer Casey Coy said that several years ago, the Aquarium was involved with the study and eventual preservation of the Civil War-era tugboat USSNarcissus, and this summer they’re going back and taking divers along. “I think the submerged human and animal history needs to be told to convey the whole scope of life on Earth,” he said. “So this summer, we’re beginning wireless full face mask tours of the site of the Narcissus so that guests can listen and watch while the guide interprets the history of the site, as well as the marine life that has settled there.” e Aquarium will use full face mask technologyto broadcast live on the Internet to school programs in Tampa from the bottom ofthe ocean while the divers restore coral or explore shipwrecks. Seeking a metaphor for the experience, Coyhearkens back to the 1960s when the world could listen to Neil Armstrong speak from the Moon. “In both instances,”he said, “you’re dealing with a human being, speaking to you live from an alien environment, while on life-supporting equipment.” e technology has changed a lot in the last 15 years, said the South Carolina Aquarium’s Postell. “Back then, people hated to wear the full face mask. It used to be a punishment to do a show; now it’s a pleasure. ese masks provide great vision, they don’t fog easily and you can breathe through your nose. It’s a world of di erence.” Challenges esemasksareexpensive,Postellpoints out,runningin excessof$1,400each, so proper maintenanceisvital– a point with which PerryHampton concurs. “ eyhave to be properlydried out a er each presentation, and we’ve found that mold can be an occasional prob- lem, so that requires constant attention,” he said. “And I’m not entirelyconvinced that the microphones are as water-resis- tant as they’re advertised. We have had some problems there as well.” Learning for the diver is a two- stage e ort. First, the full face mask is a very di erent animal from that with which most divers learned their skills. “Anytime you put salt water and electronics together, you’ve got reason to be concerned,”said Hampton. “And the fact that you’re breathing through your nose and mouth, rather than through a mouthpiece, makes a big dif- ference. It does take some getting used to for the divers.” e equipment, adds Hampton, can be damaged ifyou don’t put it on and take it o properly, so that also becomes part ofthe training. Topside, says Bourbon, there’s a learning curve as well. “ ere are certain operational nuances the dry- side sta needs to learn,” she said. “ ey need to know how to deal with the tethered connection for audio, the microphones for the educators, how to speak with the public and so on.” Once the mask is on and the diver feels comfortable, they need to learn to talk. And that, said Hampton, is not always easy. “The technology has changed a lot in the last 15 years ... Back then, people hated to wear the full face mask. It used to be a punishment to do a show; now it’s a pleasure.”
- 32. 30 www.aza.org |June 2015 “You have to learn to breathe prop- erly, so you don’t run out ofbreath. And you have to learn to modulate your speech, and not get involved in long sentences, [or] you can end up out of breath and behind the eight-ball.” ere’s a lot going on for the diver, said Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Peterson. “When you do a presenta- tion underwater, it’s natural to get a bit nervous to start with. row SCUBA into the mix, and that’s another task to manage. en, if the presenta- tion involves feeding animals, that’s something else to watch for. at’s why we take divers through a progressive training program, until they can mas- ter all these skills.” “ e microphone can be tricky and has to be adjusted for each diver,” Peterson cautioned. “To get the opti- mum sound, it helps having someone who can tweak the sound levels on the y. And while you don’t want mask and breathing sounds to overwhelm what the diver is saying, you also don’t want the presentation sounding like it’s taking place in a conference room.” According to Christiansen, Seattle runs its signals through a digital signal processor, “which was a big step toward improved diver audio,” he said. “Now it can be so clear, you can’t tell it’s a diver. But you don’t want to com- pletely take out the bubbles, breathing sounds and the other noises that make it real for listeners.” You need to know how to clear the mask if it oods (and they do), also how to speak clearly and with proper breathing and how to do it all with calmness and assurance so you won’t freak out the people watching,” said Brittsan. “So if you’re going to invest in the technology, make sure you’re prepared to invest in the time and “The microphone can be tricky and has to be adjusted for each diver ... while you don’t want mask and breathing sounds to overwhelm what the diver is saying, you also don’t want the presentation sounding like it’s taking place in a conference room.” ©MontereyBayAquarium/TysonRininger ©JohnBarber
- 33. June 2015 |www.aza.org 31 training to keep your divers safe and comfortable with the technology.” Brittsan explains there are two technologies; one where the diver can push a button to talk, then release button so that anything that comes out of their mouth is not heard. e other where there is no button to push to talk “so everything you say gets broad- cast. Of course,” he added with a laugh, “you need to be careful with that. “Some divers prefer the push to talk, but one problem with that is that you end up with a diver with one hand tied up pushing the button. at can get problematic if you’re doing a feeding and need to open a container.” is where proper training comes in very handy. What is Down the Road “One of the things we’d like to see is a diver-controlled camera built into the face mask,” said Peterson. “ ere are some available now, but they’re not yet the industry norm, and I’d like to see the development of a system where we can display a diver’s eye video to those watching the exhibit.” “I’d also like to see more e ective integration of this technology with closed-circuit rebreather technol- ogy,” said Coy. “With a rebreather, you can go deeper and stay longer without a lot of extra equipment. e problem with the full face mask tech- nology is that the way the breathing loop is designed, there’s more space in the mask, and you get these eddies where CO2 can build up. If we can x that, and come up with the technology to do video and voice notes as you swim, that would open a whole new arena for us to deliver our messages to the public.” e bottom line, reminds Peterson, is diver safety. “It’s very well-managed by the industry, and Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accred- ited facilities are extremely focused on that aspect. For us, safety equals sustainability, and sustainability equals being able to continue educating and entertaining our guests.” Lance Frazer is a writer based in Cameron Park, Calif. ©MontereyBayAquarium/RandyWilder
- 40. 38 www.aza.org |June 2015 YOUR ZOO A ND AQUA RIUM ONLINE NETW ORKING COMMUNITY START DISCUSSIONS. INVITE COLLEAGUES. SHA RE RESOURCES. GET CONNECTED. Lo g in at w w w.aza.o rg and click o n My A Z A Net w o rk .
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- 44. 42 www.aza.org |June 2015 Member News Shedd Aquarium President and Chief Executive OfƓcer Ted A. Beattie to Retire A er more than two decades of leadership for one of the world’s most respected animal care, conservation and education organizations, Shedd Aquarium President and Chief Executive O cer Ted A. Beattie an- nounced his intent to retire in late 2016, bringing to close a 35-year legacy of commitment to the advancement of conserva- tion and education for animals and ecosystems. “It has been an exceptional honor and privilege to lead and work alongside the thousands of amazing sta , volunteers, re- searchers, educators and others who have dedicated their lives to animals and inspire the 180 mil- lion people who visit accredited zoos and aquariums each year to learn and care about them, both at places like Shedd and in the wild,” Beattie said. “To have played a role in enhancing the way we develop connections that foster a greater a nity for the living world has been a remarkable and rewarding jour- ney. I know it is the appropriate time for me to pass that torch, as Shedd is poised now more than ever to cultivate the next gener- ation of responsible stewards for species and the environment.” Shedd’s Board of Trustees has formed an executive search committee to identify and select Beattie’s successor with planned assistance from a national ex- ecutive search rm. e charge will be led by Shedd’s Board Chairman Tyrone C. Fahner, partner for global law rm Mayer Brown. “Ted has been a transforma- tive, visionary leader passionate- ly dedicated to Shedd’s mission and the hundreds of sta and volunteers who are a part of it,” Fahner said. “His collaborative management style, strong focus on nancial stability, commit- ment to making Shedd the friendliest place in town and unwavering delivery to provide best-in-class animal care, con- servation and educational ini- tiatives has made the Aquarium the outstanding organization it is today. On behalf of the entire Board, we thank Ted for his invaluable leadership – he will enormously be missed.” Beattie has committed to supporting the Board through- out the transition period and will continue to serve in his Faces &Pl aces AZA Staff AZA Hires Alison Davitt as Vice President, Principal Gifts and Campaign Director for SAFE The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) hired Alison Wainright Davitt as vice president, principal gifts and campaign director for SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction. Davitt brings two decades of diverse fundraising experience and successful cam- paign leadership to AZA, most re- cently as associate vice president at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). In that role, Davitt led a development team of 23 to achieve the largest single fund raising year in MICA’s history, exceeding the initial Legacy Campaign goal by 80 percent. She also worked closely with the president, trust- ees and the vice president of advancement to successfully complete the second phase of the College’s overall $150 million campaign. Davitt has also held positions at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, the University of Baltimore and the Greater Baltimore Medical Center. Early in her career, she worked at both The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and the AZA. “I am thrilled to be back at AZA and to be part of the AZA SAFE team,” said Davitt. “SAFE is truly unprecedented, and I am excited to be generating support for something I am so passionate about. It is profoundly rewarding to provide others with the opportunity to partner and support in saving some of the most vulnerable species in the world. When people think about leaving a legacy, not many can say they helped to save a species.” Davitt hasan MBA from the JohnsHopkinsCarey Business School in Baltimore,Md.,and aB.A.in political science and pre- law from Notre Dame University of Maryland in Baltimore,Md. Network with more than 2,000 colleagueswho share a passion for what they do, a drive to nd new solutions, and an eagernessto make a di erence in the zoo and aquarium community. Plan to attend. www.aza.org/annualconference
- 45. June 2015 |www.aza.org 43 current role until the next ex- ecutive leader has been named, with a planned retirement date of December 2016. “Shedd’s continual success and growth will remain my top priority to ensure we deliver continuity, transparency and sta- bility throughout this process,” Beattie said. “While the decision to retire was not one made without heavy consideration, it is the right decision at the right time for Shedd – and for me, my wife, Jill, and our shared family. I look forward to continuing to contribute to the growth of the non-pro t world and the devel- opment of its future leaders.” Beattie added that the next chapter in his career includes the intention to applyhis passion for teaching to the advancement of non-pro t management as well as the continual development and reward of the PennyBeattie Leadership Fund – a profes- sional development scholarship program established in honor of Beattie’s late wife that provides funding support for Shedd and other zoo and aquarium sta across the nation to participate in leadership growth opportunities. Since joining Shedd in Jan- uary 1994 as the third president and chief executive o cer in the Aquarium’s history, his many accomplishments have included: the development and opening of six permanent exhibits – the second expansion in Aquarium history with the $47 million ad- dition of Wild Reef in 2003 and the $79 million re-imagination of Shedd’s Abbott Oceanarium marine mammal pavilion in 2009 being two of the most no- table; eight special exhibits with the anticipated opening of Am- phibians this May; establishment of the Daniel P. Haerther Center for Conservation and Research, which has grown to include a portfolio of 18 global eld research programs that span that world; the addition of Shedd’s onsite animal hospital and lab facilities within the A. Watson Armour III Center for Aquatic Animal Health and Welfare; a visionary Master Energy Road Map designed to cut the Aquari- um’s energy consumption in half by 2020; the opening of Shedd’s Teen Learning Lab – a free, collaborative space for teens to develop critical-thinking skills while exploring environmental interests and science; and the earned position of Chicago’s top-attended paid cultural attraction for 17 of the last 21 years, welcoming more than 33 million guests – just to name a few. Beattie also served via Pres- idential appointment in 2001 to the 16-member U.S. Commis- sion on Ocean Policy where he helped cra recommendations on a range of issues, from stewardship of marine resourc- es and pollution prevention to enhancing and supporting marine science, commerce and transportation. e report was presented to President George W. Bush and Congress in late summer 2004, listing ocean edu- cation and Great Lakes issues as a high priority, with aquariums playing a prominent lead role. Margot Amelia Joins National Aquarium Leadership The Nation- al Aquarium in Balti- more, Md., announced the appoint- ment of Margot Amelia as senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Amelia, who previously served as the executive director of the Maryland Office of Tourism Development since 2007, started at National Aquarium in early March. As Chief Marketing O cer, Amelia will be responsible for the development and execution of the National Aquarium’s marketing plan to achieve nancial and strategic objec- tives. She will lead all aspects of implementation of the plan: driving attendance and revenue, enhancing the brand, e ectively managing customer relation- ships and increasing market penetration. As a member of the National Aquarium Leadership Team, she will actively partici- pate in organization-wide policy decisions, strategic planning, fundraising strategy, board re- lations, resource allocation and representation of the National Aquarium mission and brand. “We are going forward into the 21st century and creating a new kind of aquarium. Margot brings a wealth of tourism, branding and leadership skills to the position and the organiza- tion,” said John Racanelli, Na- tional Aquarium chief executive o cer. “Her strategic approach, enthusiasm and inspiring cre- dentials will take us to the next level. We look forward to her elevating the National Aquarium as a local and global leader.” Amelia brings to the National Aquarium more than 25 years ofexperience developing and directing marketing strategies for both the private and public sector. Most recently, she served as executive director for the Maryland O ce ofTourism Development where she was re- sponsible for marketing the State ofMaryland as a destination. Amelia initiated consumer-driv- en marketing strategies, targeting keyfeeder markets through digital and traditional marketing channels, which led to re- cord-breaking years ofvisitation, in-state visitor spending and sales tax revenues. She also launched the Maryland Green Tourism certi cation program in 2009. Prior to the Maryland O ce of Tourism, Amelia served as vice president of marketing for the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (now Visit Baltimore), the o cial destination development and marketing leader for Greater Baltimore. From 1988 to 2001, Amelia worked for Gray Kirk Vansant Advertising in various management positions. Prior to that, she worked for Smith Burke &Azzam and for Amelia &Associates. “I’m looking forward to joining the Aquarium to help change the way guests view and care for the ocean,” said Amelia. “As an engaged resident and pro- fessional, I’ve witnessed how far the Aquarium has come, and I’m looking forward to the opportu- nity to take it further. ” Nashville Zoo Hires Event and Donor Engagement Manager Nashville Zoo in Nash- ville, Tenn., announced the appoint- ment of Amy Colton as event and donor engagement manager. In this role, Colton will support the e orts of the Zoo, the board of directors and campaign cabinet in raising funds for operating and capital projects. In addition to event management and logis- tics, she will also be responsible for designing, implementing and coordinating a compre- hensive donor relations and stewardship system. Colton joins the Zoo with a wealth of experience leading successful fundraising initia- tives in the Nashville commu- nity. She has chaired the Swan
- 48. 46 www.aza.org |June 2015 Faces &Pl aces Member Updates Welcome New Members AZA is pleased to warmly welcome new Professional AfƓliate, Professional Fellow, Conservation Partners, Accredited Institutions, CertiƓed Related Facilities and Commercial Members. New Professional AfƓliate Members AmyAnderson,Palm BeachZoo Luciana Bardwell, Safety Specialist, Kansas City Zoo Kate Barszczowski, Animal Keeper –Carnivores, Little Rock Zoo Jeffrey J Bocek, Keeper, Herpetology,Houston Zoo,Inc. Adam Burling, Director of Membership, Dallas Zoo John Clark, Zoological Manager, Children’s Zoo, Saint Louis Zoo Sheila Cook, Education Programs Manager, Birmingham Zoo Chris Davis, Managing Partner,ZoOceanarium Group Joshua Craig Davis,Trainer, Mystic Aquarium Andrew Fischer, General Manager of Merchandising, Monterey Bay Aquarium Melissa Gramling Senior 1 Animal Care Specialist – Elephants, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Michael Grumney, Life Support Systems and Water Quality Keeper, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Laurie Hageman, ZooKeeper, Bergen County Zoological Park Carolina Holguin Gonzalez, Registrar, Africam Safari Park Allison Kao, Behavioral Husbandry and Enrichment Manager, Lincoln Park Zoo Chris Keene, Creative Director, Zoological Society of Milwaukee County Allan Kottyan, Aquarist, National Aquarium Jamie Landenburg, Keeper I, Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park Shannon Linton, Youth Learning Supervisor,DallasZoo Rachel Markowitz, Franklin Park Zoo Emily Marrin, Marketing & Communications Manager, Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association Staci Otero, Zoo Personnel Coordinator, Zoo Miami Aaron Robert Pilnick, Aquarist, National Aquarium Suzette Randall, Human Resources Manager, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium Kristen Scaglione, Wild Animal Keeper, Akron Zoological Park Jeremy Vargo, International Exotic Animal Sanctuary Amber Wiedeman, Children’s Animal Center Supervisor, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center Peta Wittig, Director of Operations, ZoOceanarium Group Katie Woods, Zookeeper I, Lion Country Safari New Professional Fellow Members Tricha Cross, Head Zookeeper, Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo Suzanne Frounfelter, Manager of Purchasing & Distribution,Woodland ParkZoo Beth Nathan, Assistant Director of Marketing & Sales, South Carolina Aquarium Scott Rosenbloom, Director of Veterinary Services, Lehigh Valley Zoo New Conservation Partner Members Honolulu Zoological Society 151 Kapahulu Ave Honolulu, HI 96815-4096 Email: alagoy@honzoosoc.org Phone: (808)926-3191 www.honoluluzoo.org/ Primary Contact: Ted Otaguro To foster an appreciation of our living world by supporting and advocating environ- mental education, recre- ation, biological study and conservation activitiesat the Honolulu Zoo. New/Reinstated Commercial Members Vac-Tron Equipment LLC 27137 South Hwy 33 Okahumpka, FL 34762 Email: sales@vactron.com Phone: 1-888-VAC-TRON www.vactron.com/ Primary Contact: Cori Walsh WildWorks 105 N 400 W Salt Lake City, UT 84103-1124 Email: natalie@wildworks.com Phone: (801)355-4440 www.animaljam.com/ Primary Contact: Natalie Shahmiri Animal jam isa virtual video game world for kids, partnering with National Geographic for educational content. Winterland Inc 1101 SMiller Ave Marion, IN 46953-1161 Email: sales@winterlandinc.com Phone: (800)788-9627 www.winterlandinc.com/ Primary Contact: Tarah Fred Holiday decor and lighting.
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