Aquariums Roles in the Conservation of Marine Biodiversity

Description

The outlook of marine ecosystems is bleak; overfishing, by-catch, coastal development and climate change are among the biggest threats to marine biodiversity. Corals, marine mammals and sea turtles are among the groups with highest threat of extinction. This project assessed the number of threatened aquatic species in the Species360 ZIMS database network in comparison to the IUCN’s Red List. The results indicate the wealth of species and knowledge curated by the aquarium community can be crucial to support projects such as assisting propagation of new coral colonies, the provision of samples for biomarkers to identify illegal products, and determining the limits of captive breeding of species that are laundered under false pretenses through international markets. As aquariums continue to focus efforts on captive breeding and species conservation work, the importance of record keeping and sharing information for captive animals becomes increasingly relevant conservation work well beyond the walls of our facilities.

Period	24. Oct 2017
Event title	European Union of Aquarium Curators
Event type	Conference
Conference number	32nd
Location	Arnhem, Netherlands
Degree of Recognition	International