ATLANTA (July 28, 2022) – Georgia Aquarium is changing into a Middle for Species Survival (CSS) by way of a partnership with the Worldwide Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Fee (SSC), a part of the world’s largest environmental conservation group.
The Aquarium, one in every of simply three such Facilities in the US, was tapped for its experience in marine species conservation. It should contribute data, expertise, and capability to international plans to avoid wasting wildlife. The work of the Middle contains collaboration with conservation organizations, area scientists, teachers, and authorities officers.
The Middle will work in partnership with the IUCN SSC, the most important of the IUCN’s six knowledgeable commissions and made up of greater than 10,000 conservationists worldwide. The CSS partnerships acknowledge that accredited zoos and aquariums have important information and knowledgeable data ensuing from years of caring for endangered species and fascinating with guests.
“These new IUCN SSC partnerships have nice potential to reverse the staggering decline in wildlife and vegetation around the globe,” stated Dr. Alistair Dove, Vice President of Science and Training at Georgia Aquarium. “After a long time of caring for endangered species, accredited zoos and aquariums have a wealth of knowledge and experience and sharing data this fashion is a resourceful method that can significantly advance conservation planning. Georgia Aquarium will proceed to commit our scientists and animal care specialists to the SSC’s important work to avoid wasting species, from modern methods to efficient on-the-ground motion.”
Many organizations, together with Georgia Aquarium, are doing intensive conservation work. These new partnerships assist that work develop into a extra structured a part of the worldwide conservation neighborhood, unifying below One Plan to evaluate, plan and act to reverse destructive wildlife developments.
This sharing of expertise and data builds cooperation and reduces redundancies on tasks and permits the IUCN to share conservation info with thousands and thousands of people that go to zoos and aquariums every year.
As a CSS, Georgia Aquarium’s work will embody:
• Conducting further assessments for the IUCN Crimson Record of Threatened Species, which identifies and evaluates species threatened with extinction
• Planning conservation tasks and internet hosting workshops
• Conserving endangered species residing on the Aquarium
• Coaching different zoos and aquariums on efficient species conservation work
Georgia Aquarium has volunteered important sources to the IUCN SSC for years. Considered one of its researchers, Katelyn B. Herman, is a skilled Crimson Record Officer, serving to lead extinction danger assessments. As a part of the IUCN’s Shark Specialist Group, Herman labored on The World Shark Traits Mission, which not too long ago concluded a multi-year evaluation that discovered shark, ray, and chimaera populations have declined 71 p.c previously 50 years.
“Georgia Aquarium has been on the forefront of aquatic science for years, making essential breakthroughs for marquee marine species. These Facilities can be very important to coordinating conservation data and growing plans to avoid wasting species threatened with extinction,” stated Dr. Brian Davis, President and CEO of Georgia Aquarium. “Our dedication to defending our ocean is unwavering.”
Georgia Aquarium conducts conservation work each at its facility and within the area around the globe. One present undertaking includes the reintroduction of endangered zebra sharks to their residence vary in Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Different tasks have included conservation and rescue work for whale sharks, African penguins, Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, manta rays, beluga whales, noticed eagle rays, sea lions, and corals.
“The IUCN SSC believes strongly within the distinctive position that accredited zoos and aquariums should play in saving species, spanning breeding, husbandry, veterinary care, public engagement, fundraising, analysis and rather more,” stated Dr. Kira Mileham, IUCN SSC Strategic Partnership Director. “We’re working laborious to ascertain these new partnerships between particular person zoos and aquariums, SSC specialist teams, taxon advisory teams, and species conservation packages around the globe, in order that collectively we are able to guarantee a extra optimistic shared future for individuals and wildlife”.
Different Facilities inside the US embody the World Middle for Species Survival (GCSS), based mostly on the Indianapolis Zoo in Indiana, and the Middle for Species Survival: New Mexico on the Albuquerque Biopark, New Mexico. The GCSS, created in October 2019, works intently with all of the SSC’s international Species Specialist Teams and employs specialists that target freshwater, marine, vegetation, fungi, invertebrates, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, and birds.
Whereas Georgia Aquarium is a hub for marine species, the CSS: New Mexico, focuses on medicinal vegetation, freshwater fishes, and pollinating bugs. Seven different hubs have been established around the globe with extra on the best way. The present Facilities for Species Survival embody Paradise Wildlife Park, United Kingdom; Oceanário de Lisboa, Portugal; Parque Das Aves, Brazil; Temaiken Fundacion, Argentina; Mandai Nature, Singapore; Zoos and Aquarium Affiliation Australasia, Australia; and Loro Parque, Canary Islands.
About Georgia Aquarium
Georgia Aquarium is a number one 501(c)(3) non-profit group situated in Atlanta, Ga. that’s Humane Licensed by American Humane and accredited by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and the Affiliation of Zoos and Aquariums. It is usually a Middle for Species Survival by the Worldwide Union for the Conservation of Nature. Georgia Aquarium is dedicated to engaged on behalf of all marine life by way of training, preservation, distinctive animal care, and analysis throughout the globe. Georgia Aquarium continues its mission every day to encourage, educate, and entertain its thousands and thousands of friends concerning the aquatic biodiversity all through the world by way of its a whole lot of reveals and tens of hundreds of animals throughout its eight main galleries. For extra info, go to georgiaaquarium.org.
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