Greetings,

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums Marine Mammal Taxonomic Advisory Group is interested in creating a new resource. The intended result is a list of priority research questions that could be addressed by facilities caring for marine mammals. Research questions can be about anything (e.g., animal welfare, cognition, visitor outcomes, communication, testing bio-logging devices, etc.) that can be addressed by studying animals under human care. Below is a list of the species and a link to a survey where up to three questions can be entered per species. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out and thank you in advance for your time. We hope this new resource will guide the future of marine mammal research not just for AZA but the entire marine mammal community.

Species: Beluga Whale, Bottlenose Dolphin, California Sea Lion, Commerson’s Dolphin, Commerson’s Dolphin, Common Dolphin, Gray Seal, Guadalupe Fur Seal, Harbor Seal, Harp Seal, Hawaiian Monk Seal, Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, Killer Whale, Manatee (Florida), Northern Fur Seal, Pacific White-Sided Dolphin, Pilot Whale, Ringed Seal, Sea Otter (Northern), Sea Otter (Southern), Spotted Seal, Steller Sea Lion, Walrus

Link to Survey: https://www.research.net/r/MarineMammalResearchPriorities

Note. The survey will remain open for approximately one month until February 16, 2022.

Thanks,

Lance Miller, Ph.D.

Vice President of Conservation Science and Animal Welfare Research

Chicago Zoological Society – Brookfield Zoo

3300 Golf Road, Brookfield, IL 60513

Phone: 708-688-8433

Email: Lance.Miller@CZS.org

Website: https://www.czs.org/Centers-of-Excellence/Center-for-Animal-Welfare