Live Streaming? Students learn how zoos and aquariums contribute to global species knowledge

April 20, 2020
Mary Ellen Amodeo
0 Comments

*AQUATIS*, THE LARGEST FRESHWATER *AQUARIUM*–*VIVARIUM* IN EUROPE, shared this video showing it team taking samples and then recording the data in ZIMS.

Every day, your aquarists, keepers and veterinarians record information about the animals in their care. How much did they eat? Were they very active? Was a new baby born? As a member of the Species360 community, your institution shares that information with other animal care teams and veterinarians around the world using the Zoological Information Management System – or ZIMS.

How many animals? How many records in all? How many species? It all adds up to create the world’s largest set of data on wildlife in human care.

In fact, information shared by Species360 members increases what we know about species by as much as 800 percent, according to research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

That data is used by IUCN, CITES, and other conservation leaders, zoos, and aquariums worldwide to learn more about thousands of species. And the information helps to improve the welfare of animals, advance medical treatments, and shape policies impacting species survival.

As part of the global Species360 community, aquariums and zoos like yours contribute vital information on the animals in their care. That information is used by IUCN, CITES, and other conservation leaders, zoos, and aquariums worldwide to help improve the welfare of animals, advance medical treatments, and shape policies impacting species survival.

Example: Since 2017, Emirates Park Zoo added data on 806 birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals of 198 species, contributing to the understanding of those species’ life histories. (“Emirates Park Zoo gives vital data on biodiversity,” Gulf Today)

For information on just how many species, individual animals, and records your institution has contributed to ZIMS, go to Institution Statistics.

For more information on talking with visitors and media about the impact of your institution on global species data, please reach out to Support@Species360.org or Mary.Ellen@Species360.org.