Organizing a public aquarium: objectives, design, operation and missions. A review

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 369-384

Many Public Aquaria have been designed and constructed all over the world during the last three decades. The serial arrangement of relatively small, rectangular, concrete tanks has been replaced by fewer large, irregularly shaped tanks, replicating habitats. The “taxonomic concept” of displaying specimens in the old aquaria has now been succeeded by the more ecological, “community concept” type of display. At the same time most of the “old aquaria” have been renovated. Aquarium missions have also been broadened nowadays including research, conservation and education. Aquaria are ideal places for research on husbandry, life cycles, reproduction, behavior, autoecology and fish pathology. Collaboration with Universities and Research Centers increases the research potential in scientific disciplines such as ecology, genetics, physiology and biochemistry. Collaboration also provides mutual benefits in both infrastructure and personnel: The research background in aquaria also forms a sound platform to materialize conservation projects, focusing either on the ex-situ conservation of animals in the aquaria or on environmental protection of surrounding areas and reintroduction of endangered species. In addition to formal educational opportunities, non formal education to visitors, schools and undergraduates seems to become a major mission of aquaria. Aquarium tank displays, preserved biological material, film projections, seminars / lectures and book magazine publications enhance environmental awareness, encouraging people to adopt Environmentally Responsible Behavior. All these missions are feasible because most public aquaria are making a good profit mainly due to their high popularity. There are also benefits for the community in the area; aquaria have enlivened declining water front areas and increased the income of tourist resorts mainly by “stretching out” the tourist season. In the present work the objectives of a public aquarium are reviewed and the main infrastructure subsystems and operational procedures are described; Know how on aquarium systems can also be applied in research laboratories of academic institutions if live organisms have to be kept for experimentation. Aquarium missions on research, conservation and education are discussed.

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2191
Author(s):  
Pablo García-Salinas ◽  
Victor Gallego ◽  
Juan F. Asturiano

The chondrichthyan fishes, which comprise sharks, rays, and chimaeras, are one of the most threatened groups of vertebrates on the planet. Given this situation, an additional strategy for the protection of these species could be the ex situ conservation projects developed in public aquaria and research centers. Nevertheless, to increase sustainability and to develop properly in situ reintroduction strategies, captive breeding techniques, such as sperm extraction and artificial insemination, should be developed. These techniques are commonly used in other threatened species and could be also used in chondrichthyans. However, the different reproductive morphologies found in this group can complicate both processes. Therefore, a comparison of the reproductive anatomy of eight distinct chondrichthyans, with an emphasis on those important differences when performing sperm extraction or artificial insemination, is carried out herein. Sharks and chimaeras belonging to the Scyliorhinidae, Carcharhinidae, Centrophoridae, Etmopteridae, Hexanchidae, and Chimaeridae families were obtained from commercial fisheries, public aquaria, and stranding events. In addition, the process of obtaining viable sperm samples through cannulation, abdominal massage, and oviducal gland extraction is described in detail for both living and dead animals.


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyvia Pontes Teixeira das Chagas ◽  
Ageu da Silva Monteiro Freire ◽  
Luciana Gomes Pinheiro ◽  
Cristiane Gouvêa Fajardo ◽  
Fábio de Almeida Vieira

Abstract This study aimed to estimate the genetic diversity of three Elaeis guineensis populations in Rio Grande do Norte state, as well as to verify the decreases in effective population size. The population with the highest polymorphism was MAT (Mata) with+ 57 loci (72%), followed by RIA (Riacho) with 54 loci (68%) and HOR (Horta) with 34 loci (43.03%). The RIA population was shown to be the most genetically diverse, with Nei (h = 0.28) and Shannon (I = 0.41) diversity indices. There was high genetic differentiation among populations (AMOVA, analysis of molecular variance = 42%), which was separated into three distinct genetic groups according to a Bayesian analysis. There was a significant population decrease (P < 0.05) for the HOR population in the IAM (infinite allele model) and SMM (stepwise mutation model), and for the RIA population in the IAM. The data obtained in this study may support ex-situ conservation projects for Elaeis guineensis, contributing to the selection of genotypes and their sustainable use.


2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Diah P Wijayanti ◽  
Elis Indrayanti

Metamorfosis dan penempelan merupakan proses yang amat penting dalam siklus hidup koloni karang. Koloni karang hanya akan terbentuk jika larva planula berhasil bermetamorfosis dari larva planktonik menjadi bentik dan menempel pada substrat untuk kemudian bertumbuh menjadi koloni baru. Induktor berperan merangsang metamorfosis dan meningkatkan persentase jumlah zigot yang menempel dan berkembang menjadi koloni baru. Peptida komersial adalah neuropeptida golongan GLWamida yang bertindak sebagai hormon pemicu terjadinya metamorfosis  planulae larva. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan, Hym-248, peptida komersial anggota GLWamida, mampu menginduksi metamorfosis dan penempelan planula yang berasal dari slick (kumpulan gamet yang terapung-apung di permukaan laut setelah dilepaskan koloni karang pada peristiwa spawning multispesifik). Slick dikoleksi dari Pulau Sambangan, Kepulauan Karimunjawa saat spawning masal terjadi pada bulan Maret. Seluruh dosis yang dicobakan mampu menginduksi proses metamorfosis dan settlement planula larva setelah planula diinkubasi dalam media yang telah diberi Hym-248. Hasil ini memberi peluang dilakukannya pembenihan larva planulae secara masal untuk keperluan restorasi terumbu karang dan budidaya karang. Kata kunci: metamorfosis, settlement, budidaya karang, Acropora, spawning masal, slick Settlement and metamorphosis, which leads to the formation of primary polyp, are critical steps in the life cycles of corals. Metamorphosis cue is necessary to create an internal trigger to initiate metamorphosis in coral larvae. Neuropeptides which act hormonally to induce metamorphosis, provide a reliable and efficient settlement cue for ex situ larval culture. Here we report that Hym-248, one member of GLWamide peptide can induce metamorphosis of planulae derived from collected slick. Experiments were done in Sambangan Island after March spawning event. The results showed that all applied doses of Hym-248 successfully induced the metamorphosis and settlement of planulae larvae produced from slick. The result of this study showed that coral propagules can be produced faster by applying the commercial peptide as the inducer which leads to mass production of coral propagules for coral culture. Key words: metamorphosis, settlement, coral culture, Acropora, mass-spawning, slick


Oryx ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 300-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Zona ◽  
Raúl Verdecia ◽  
Angela Leiva Sánchez ◽  
Carl E. Lewis ◽  
Mike Maunder

AbstractThe conservation status of 134 species, subspecies and varieties of West Indian palms (Arecaceae) is assessed and reviewed, based on field studies and current literature. We find that 90% of the palm taxa of the West Indies are endemic. Using the IUCN Red List categories one species is categorized as Extinct, 11 taxa as Critically Endangered, 19 as Endangered, and 21 as Vulnerable. Fifty-seven taxa are classified as Least Concern. Twenty-five taxa are Data Deficient, an indication that additional field studies are urgently needed. The 11 Critically Endangered taxa warrant immediate conservation action; some are currently the subject of ex situ and in situ conservation projects in the region’s botanical gardens. We recommend that preliminary conservation assessments be made of the 25 Data Deficient taxa so that conservation measures can be implemented for those facing imminent threats.


Lankesteriana ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Pugh-Jones

<div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span>This lecture will outline my work with orchids at Writhlington School and the range of outcomes that make this the special project it has become. I will then focus on current </span><span>ex-situ </span><span>conservation projects and identify lessons for community based orchid con- servation. Expect a rapid journey through science, conservation and young peoples achievement. </span></p></div></div></div>


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aceng Ruyani ◽  
Deni Parlindungan ◽  
Patricia G. Patrick ◽  
Catherine E. Matthews

Building collegial international relationships is an important aspect of conservation and conservation education. The relationship relies on researchers understanding the local context of the conservation project and the sociocultural perspectives of all partners. Therefore, we situated our case study within sociocultural theory. Our case study focuses on the relationships and project work which developed between a biologist/science educator at the University of Bengkulu in Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia, and a science education professor at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA, who shared longtime interests in herpetology. Employing the sociocultural perspective, we describe the background of each University group leader and how their previous experiences led to the development of a partnership focused on turtle conservation. In this case study, we seek to understand the social and cultural development of the researchers’ relationship as they teamed to address the ex situ conservation challenges of working with terrestrial and semiaquatic turtles. An examination of the researchers’ partnership provides a framework for the analysis of the work accomplished and remaining and offers insights to others interested in collaborative international conservation projects.


1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (8) ◽  
pp. 1591-1605 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. O'Dor ◽  
D. M. Webber

The convergent evolution of cephalopods and fish has often been discussed on an anatomical basis, but recent advances in the knowledge of cephalopod life cycles, physiology, and biochemistry suggest that there are constraints on cephalopods that prevent them from competing directly with fish. These advances are reviewed against the background of detailed information on fish from the perspective that the basic inefficiency of the jet-propulsion system has required bioenergetic, physiological, and biochemical adaptations in squid which maximize their metabolic rates. Such "high-energy" adaptations are suggested to have resulted in the short life history and semelparous reproductive patterns that seem to characterize these coleoid cephalopods. Conversely, the physiology and biochemistry offish give them distinct advantages for long lives and iteroparity.


Author(s):  
Elizabeth Radford ◽  
Michael Dossman ◽  
David Rae

Ad hoc' conservation status species refer to IUCN-listed plants that have been collected by botanic gardens for no immediate conservation objective. They differ from so-called conservation collections, which have usually been collected with very specific conservation objectives in mind. Information was collected for 53 ad hoc conservation status species in the Living Collection at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). Each species was assessed for its potential value for conservation and suggested action points to improve their management for possible conservation projects in the future were given. Discussions were held with various members of staff about the current and future management of threatened plants in the collections. In common with other botanic gardens the majority of the ad hoc collections of conservation status plants at RBGE have been acquired in very small numbers, usually as one accession, frequently of cultivated origin and therefore possess little genetic diversity. Current conservation programmes for such plants are few in number and scope, and the management potential of a large number are limited. More emphasis should be placed on the educational role of these plants and on a focused programme to safeguard the survival of the most threatened species at RBGE.


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