#conservation research

Another training session wrapped up!

Twelve searches with two samples (one he is trained on and a similar sample he isn’t!) and ten distractions each take a lot out of a dog. The container difficulty was amped up too, but by the 6th go Thyme caught on.

Sometimes, members of the community are asked to participate in research as well! This study from the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago paired with community volunteers to record bats around Chicago to have a better understanding of bat populations and where they are most found. This was done by recording with an ultrasonic microphone as they walked on predetermined paths in different urban locations at night. If bats were nearby, the ultrasonic microphone would pick up the echolocating bats and help determine if there were a lot of bats in the area, and also areas where bats often were as well as areas they were not. 

This research was done to help better understand how bats are using urban locations with the end goal of potentially making the city more friendly to bats. Regardless of your feelings on bats (I think they are adorable) they are an incredibly important part of the ecosystem and it is estimated that a single bat can eat more than 1,200 insects in a night! By figuring out where bats are and where they aren’t in a city, we can start to look at what potential impacts surrounding areas have on bat populations. If they are often found in places that are usually quiet during the day but loud at night, that's important to know! If they seem to care more about safe hiding spots than noise, that's important to know too! The more we know about habits and preferred areas, the better informed we can be when making decisions for bat conservation. 

Also, excellent news, this study seems to be an ongoing one! So if you are in the Chicago area, and you have a love of bats, are a night person, or maybe just want something to get you out of the house, look into volunteering with this study! Community science is so important for large scale research projects. It is the research equivalent of ‘many hands make light work’. Community science is also a fantastic way to learn more about the initiatives taking place within your community, and get some experience if conservation is a field you might be interested in. Take it from me, with conservation, any experience that says ‘I care about my community, am passionate about conservation, and have a person who can tell you I’m competent and capable’ is an incredibly valuable endeavor. Beyond that, volunteering is a great way to connect with people you may never have crossed paths with otherwise and to do a whole lot of good. Even if you are not in Chicago, there are plenty of community science opportunities to get involved with. You just need to look for them, or ask the right people!

Here is the link  to the article: https://www.lpzoo.org/science-project/a-community-effort-to-monitor-chicagos-bats/

This study was done for conservation outside of the Georgia Aquarium. Beluga Whales can be found in sub-Arctic water, its one of the reasons they have such thick layers of blubber! In the US, they can be found in waters off of the coast of Alaska. The Cook Inlet Beluga, which is the focus of this study, is considered endangered with fewer than 300 individuals remaining.

This population was listed as endangered in 2008 due to over-harvesting by hunters but population sizes have not increased despite no longer being hunted and efforts to help repopulate. The Georgia Aquarium in collaboration with U.C. Santa Crus aimed to help the Alaska Region of NOAA Fisheries find potential reasons why repopulation efforts have so far been unsuccessful. This collaboration started in 2018, this article was published in 2024 so this is a long standing effort from all three parties.

This study focuses on one specific element that may help shed some light on why populations have not been increasing; energy usage of Belugas. Having a better understanding of how much energy is needed to power a Beluga in captivity can help conservationists get a better understanding of if wild populations are getting enough to eat for their needs. What's really cool about this study, is that the scientists spent six months training the belugas to be ok with the equipment that they would be using to collect data. This is important as it helps decrease the stress of the Belugas if they are comfortable and familiar with the collection process as its happening.

Human interference is a big issue in conservation. How do we balance the growth and needs of humans with the safety and needs of animals? Cook Inlet Belugas are endangered. As a result, there are a lot of protections in place for them and anything that might impact them needs to be reviewed before it is allowed to take place. Any information gained about Belugas helps better inform these reviews and helps them to better judge if a proposal will impact the Belugas in a negative way. By having a better idea of calories needed by Belugas, we can better assess if a potential human disturbance will add strain to wild Belugas and lead to them using more calories than they may be able to get.

Sometimes in conservation, the process is about studying any and all things that may have an impact. It is no surprise that wild Belugas will require more calories if faced with potential threats and obstacles. Being able to quantify how many calories they may need is once piece to figuring out the whole puzzle. Conservation is rarely straightforward and easy. For example, it might be easy to read this and decide 'Well, if we know how many calories they need can't NOAA supplement their diet till they get enough food?' But consistently feeding wildlife leads to them expecting food to be provided and decreases hunting efforts which could lead to adult Belugas teaching children places they are fed instead of teaching them how to hunt. This study will help inform further regulations and give more information for further studies to build so more and more pieces can be found.

Here is a link to the Georgia Aquarium page discussing this study-https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/resource-center/press-releases/new-research-at-georgia-aquarium-helps-conserve-endangered-beluga-whales-in-alaska/

This study looks at the impact that people being at the zoo actually has on the animals. People can be a lot for a reptile. From loud noises, tapping on the glass, strange smells of body odor or zoo snacks to brightly colored attire. The Detroit Zoo took advantage of the lack of guests during the zoo being closed during the 2020 shut down to assess the impact that guests and all they entail may have on six of their reptile species.

They examined several species with several different types of natural behaviors, such as some that inhabit open areas, some that prefer ample vegetation to hide, and some that were nocturnal to name a few differences. These species also have different ways of sensing and seeing the world around them. By looking at species that have such different ways of behaving and sensing, the zoo could get an idea of how guests affected different types of reptiles all at once.

While the zoo was closed, they monitored six different species behaviors (yes, reptiles do exhibit several different behaviors) and habitat usage. They then repeated the study when the zoo opened back up to see how the six species behaviors changed once guests were introduced back into the equation. No overly negative changes occurred, though some species were seen to hide a bit more. But more interestingly, some species were seen to be more active and showed a wider range of behaviors once the zoo opened up again.

The results varied by species, but what I think is important to note is the Detroit Zoo in their study mentions that not as much research is done on non-mammals. Mammals are cute and cuddly and have strange and endearing behaviors, they are more desirable to pay attention to. I think its great that the Detroit Zoo focused on reptiles for this study, as it gives a great insight into the impact that visitors can have on often under appreciated species. This study can inform so many zoos and animal facilities about potential better practices or more areas to look into for better welfare for their reptiles. Or being a jumping off point for further research into reptile welfare overall, something that currently there is a less of.

Here is the link to the study-https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/8/1034

Students Engage in Hands-on Learning to Protect Endangered Species Tata Zoo’s International Tiger Day celebration united students and experts in a day of interactive learning, featuring tree planting, wildlife talks, and field research techniques. JAMSHEDPUR – Tata Steel Zoological Park hosted an immersive International Tiger Day celebration, uniting students and experts in wildlife preservation…

Excerpt from this story from the LA Times:

The rugged and breathtaking beauty of Point Conception — and the larger Gaviota Coast — has enthralled humans for thousands of years. Now, a new conservation and research effort hopes to restore this region of rolling hills, twisted oaks, brackish lagoons and shale cliffs overlooking wind-whipped sandy beaches to its original state.

Most recently, conservationists demolished a 56-year-old stone-and-mortar dam that was preventing federally endangered Southern California steelhead from reaching ancient spawning grounds in Point Conception’s highlands. Removal of the dam this month has reopened a vital link to survival for a species on the brink of extinction.

“We’re transforming much of Point Conception into a platform for conservation, research and ecological recovery projects,” said Mark Reynolds, a lead scientist for the Nature Conservancy, which in 2017 purchased 24,329 acres of land in the area from a New England investment firm to protect it from development. “Our findings will provide glimpses into California’s coastal future.”

“As fascinating as the past has been for such a place, we still have a lot to learn about its plants, animals, insects and other organisms on land and offshore — and how they depend upon one another,” said Reynolds, director of the conservancy’s Point Conception Institute.

The property has been renamed the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve, after the entrepreneurs and longtime environmental preservation advocates who donated $165 million to buy it.

The landscape is the focus of more than 100 ongoing scientific studies and ecological recovery projects led by an alliance of researchers from universities and federal agencies including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. They are applying advanced scientific tools including genetic analysis and hyperspectral sensors onboard satellites able to map places rich in biological diversity, identify species headed for trouble, and provide weed warnings before invasions occur.

The swirling currents offshore also happen to be a convergence zone where the warm waters of Mexico meet the chilly currents of Alaska, and the periodic shifts in ocean temperature known as La Niña and El Niño bring an ever-changing variety of fish and other pelagic creatures.

Meet Safari Park’s Southern White Rhino calf

Edward, a 13-day-old southern white rhino calf at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, got his first chance to experience a true mud wallow this morning today, under the watchful eye of his mom, Victoria. Rhino keepers decided to create a wallow for the youngster to provide him the opportunity to experience an instinctive behavior for rhinos.

Keepers scooped up mud from the area around the Nikita Kahn…