Ok, I can see there are still a LOT of misconceptions about aquariums getting tossed around. I'm going to dispel as many of them as I can. I have degrees in biology and zoology and years of experience working in zoos and aquariums, as well as many friends and acquaintances who do, and I can tell you 100% that aquariums are VERY important tools for education and conservation. That is the primary mission of modern aquariums, they are NOT all about entertainment. That is a very outdated ideal and not something anyone in the zoo or aquarium field would support in this day and age, I can guarantee you.
First of all, for those who worry about the welfare of animals in aquariums, don't. Aquarium animals don't have to worry about predators, pollution, boat strikes, fishing/poaching, entanglement in ocean trash, starvation, stress and disease due to rising ocean temperatures, and many other dangers. They have an entire veterinary staff (normally on-site and/or on-call 24/7) specifically to cater to all their health and medical needs. They are fed the most complete and nutritious diets available, including specific vitamin supplements. Their health and wellbeing is monitored constantly by a staff of highly trained professionals. Their habitats are always being reviewed, improved, and expanded as much as possible to provide the healthiest and most natural environments available (and the technology for this has improved exponentially since the early days, and it continues to improve).
Animals are not "forced to perform" tricks. It is true that many animals are trained to do certain behaviors, but they are trained using positive reinforcement where they are rewarded with treats if they do the behavior, but NOT punished if they don't. These behaviors actually improve safety for both the animals and the people; most of them are specifically trained to improve ease of veterinary exams and procedures. For example, instead of forcing or restraining a seal or sea lion into a certain position to do a blood draw or give a vaccine or just do a health check, you simply ask it to do what you need (roll over, raise a flipper, etc.). Another important point is that these behaviors and interactions provide mental and physical stimulation and are therefore a positive experience for the animal. It works as a form of enrichment (which is provided in a variety of ways to all the animals to keep them stimulated). Yes, in the case of cetaceans and pinnipeds these behaviors are often worked into shows for the public, but the animals are not being exploited or harmed, and these shows are specifically used as an educational tool. Also, please keep in mind that if you're looking into a tank at an aquarium and thinking "this octopus looks bored AF" you are projecting a human emotion onto an invertebrate. That's an excessive amount of anthropomorphization (and I'm a huge animal lover myself).
People who work in aquariums are not grunt workers. Jobs in this field are HUGELY competitive and it is very common to be one applicant among hundreds, I can tell you this from my own personal experience as well as that of many friends and acquaintances. And these jobs don't even pay very well, nowhere near as well as they should, I can assure you. People don't go into the aquarium field for the money, they do it because they love it. Aquariums are staffed by highly trained, educated, and experienced aquarists who are deeply passionate about ocean conservation and education.
Aquariums benefit conservation both directly and indirectly. Directly, because there is a lot of marine biology and conservation-oriented research being performed at most of these institutions. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes that most casual visitors don't even see. Studies are conducted on breeding endangered species, for example, or ways to eradicate diseases (sea star wasting syndrome, coral black band disease, just to name a couple). Also, many aquariums organize research trips, beach cleanups, and animal census counts (such as the annual giant Pacific octopus census near where I live). It's not just trained scientists either; aquariums encourage citizen science and provide the tools and training to carry such things out.
Indirect conservation benefits are brought about by the education provided by aquariums. Each institution has an entire education department dedicated to conducting programs for both children and adults to learn more about the oceans and the animals that live there. By providing accurate scientific information as well as face-to-face encounters and hands-on experiences, aquariums get people excited about the oceans and therefore get them to care. Many, many young people are fascinated and inspired by being able to get up close and personal with live sea creatures that they would never otherwise encounter, so these resources help to create new generations of ocean scientists.
The argument that the same educational benefits can be provided by TV shows and the internet is one I encounter a lot, and unfortunately it is a very uninformed and idealistic viewpoint. I'll break it down:
First of all, have any of you even been paying attention to what's happening to the environment lately? Rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification, plastic pollution, sewage and chemical spills, vast drifting garbage islands, ghost fishing nets, overfishing, poaching, shark finning, seafloor dredging, boat and propeller strikes, navy sonar testing, oil drilling, and probably countless other factors I'm not even thinking of at the moment are ALL threatening the health of the oceans and the very existence of all marine species. These are HUGE problems that, tragically, are not going to just disappear any time soon (if ever). So many habitats are being destroyed and so many species are becoming endangered and even going extinct under our very noses, and if this trend continues then pretty soon there won't even BE wild sea creatures to make documentaries ABOUT. For many animals, aquariums are actually safe havens, or even last bastions for critically endangered species. Zoos and aquariums have a proven track record of actually preventing extinctions of quite a few different species, and the potential to save many more from extinction. Species Survival Plans carried out by accredited aquariums all over the US and the world implement breeding strategies for endangered species, focusing on maintaining genetic diversity and giving the species the best possible chance of survival.
Additionally, many aquariums (as others have mentioned) rescue and rehabilitate sick or injured marine life. Cetaceans, seals and sea lions, sea turtles, and manatees and dugongs ALL benefit from these rescue programs. I used to volunteer in the turtle hospital at the aquarium in Queensland and I've seen many turtles that were rescued that would otherwise have died. All of them were sickened or injured by human-induced causes such as boat strikes (damaged shells requiring repair), ingesting plastic bags (these cause intestinal blockages which cause floating syndrome and starvation), ingesting cigarette butts, trash entanglement, and injuries from fish hooks. Almost all of these turtles were eventually able to recover from severe injuries/illness that they would not have survived in the wild, thanks to the care of the aquarists and veterinarians at the turtle hospital. Without facilities that are adequately equipped and staffed to handle marine animals, a huge amount of sick or injured or injured wildlife would actually be condemned to death because there would not BE anywhere to treat them and nurse them back to health. In fact, there HAVE been instances of injured dolphins having to be euthanized by wildlife officials because of local laws that had banned keeping any cetaceans in captivity and therefore ruled out any aquariums being able to care for them. Let that sink in for a minute.
Another point about educational media....have you guys SEEN what passes for "educational" TV programming these days? Most TV shows nowadays are more about sensationalism, entertainment, and ratings than actually presenting facts. Think about Shark Week, which has falsified SO many documentaries that they actually interview scientists with leading questions, then completely rearrange the material to make it look like the scientists are studying zombie sharks. All of which is fiction presented as fact, all for the sake of entertainment. And the internet is no better. People go around spewing misinformation like facts and most people don't even question it. Anyone can write anything on the internet, unlike in aquariums where staff scientists and educational professionals are devoted to presenting accurate information based on actual research.
Honestly, I am sick to death of armchair activists and self-righteous people who vilify aquariums without even bothering to be fully informed. It doesn't help the cause you think you're supporting, it actually does the opposite and it denigrates all the work that aquarists and scientists devote their entire LIVES to. If you REALLY care about animals, and about the ocean, you should be SUPPORTING aquariums. The more money they receive from ticket sales and memberships, the better care their animals receive and the better their exhibits will be. If you really want to make a difference, don't spread misinformation, DO speak out against the real dangers to the ocean, such as oil drilling, fossil fuels, navy sonar testing, rampant overuse of plastics, seafloor dredging, shark finning, shark culls, and mass slaughter of wild cetaceans (such as what is happening not only with dolphins in Taiji but also with pilot whales in the Faeroe Islands). Knowledge is power and we CAN make a difference, but we have to focus on the right issues, and destroying organizations that provide such important education and conservation functions is not one of them.
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