MCRI Research
Using Live Animal Collection
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Propagation of at-risk species (1998 – present)
Since its opening in June 1998, the Aquarium of the Pacific has been a leader in the captive propagation of many species of marine fishes andinvertebrates.
Some of the species that have been bred include several species of sharks, pipefishes, seahorses, clownfish, numerous types of corals, and for the first time ever in a captive environment, the weedy sea dragon. Progeny of these successful breeding efforts have been shared with sister aquariums in the U.S. and abroad, lessening the need for collection of specimens from the wild.
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Pheromones in Crested Auklets (2000 – present)
Chemical Signaling
Dr. Julie Hagelin, an ornithologist with the Swathmore College in Pennsylvania, has been working with our staff aviculturists since 2000 in the study of a previously undiscovered mode of communication in birds: chemical signaling. Her studies involve the Crested Auklet (Aethia cristatella), which produces a seasonally distinctive tangerine scent that is directly associated with courtship. The Aquarium of the Pacific is one of only two facilities in the country to house captive Crested Auklets.
The Aquarium has provided Dr. Hagelin with a rare opportunity to study several unique aspects of Crested Auklet biology that are otherwise impossible in the wild. The Aquarium’s collection of Auklets is available for study year-round, while wild birds disperse far offshore in the Bering Sea during winter months.
Analyses of scent production in aquarium birds established that the tangerine odor was, indeed, only present during breeding. The data also revealed key chemical components of the tangerine scent. Dr. Hagelin’s work on the seasonality of auklet odor has been submitted for publication in the premier international science journal Nature.
Dr. Hagelin intends to continue her work with our birds. This research may, in fact, help with the captive propagation of Crested Auklets at the aquarium. Her research will also give us a better understanding of why chemical signals evolve, what they mean and how they function as an animal signal. In the long term, Dr. Hagelin's basic research may enable scientists to more accurately predict the breeding success of wild populations in a non-intrusive way. Fluctuations of Crested Auklet populations are an important indicator of global warming and the health of Arctic oceans.
PDF* Downloads:
Odors and chemical signaling | Bird Odors and Other Chemical Substances: A Defense Mechanism or Overlooked Mode of Intraspecific Communication? | -
Feeding Periodicity in Leopard Sharks (Triakis semifasciata) (2002)
By granting these researchers from California State University at Long Beach access to their collection of leopard sharks, the Aquarium of the Pacific assisted in the development of a technique to determine when sharks feed in the wild, the effectiveness of pH as an indicator of feeding in leopard sharks, and whether pH can be used to estimate the mass of the meal the shark ingested.
The tests involved monitoring changes in gastric pH, with the use of a pH data logger, during and after feeding. As food enters the stomach, acid is secreted to activate enzymes in the stomach and initiate digestion of proteins. By measuring changes in the pH of the stomach, researchers can determine when sharks are feeding. Having this information is useful in developing fishing strategies aimed at avoiding sharks when targeting other species. This was the first time studies of this type had been conducted on fish.
PDF* Downloads:Postprandial Response of Gastric pH in Leopard Sharks (Triakis semifasciata) and its use to Study Foraging Ecology | Variations in Gastric Acid Secretions During Fasting Between Two Species of Sharks | -
A Study of the Taxonomy of Hydrocorals of the Genus Stylaster (2002)
Samples of a local variety of cold water coral (Stylaster californicus) provided by the Aquarium of the Pacific have revealed, through the use of DNA analysis, that what was previously thought to be one species, is in fact, seven distinct species.
Papers, presentations, or publications not available.
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Effects of Caffeine on Corals (2003)
The Aquarium of the Pacific assisted UCI PhD candidate Kelly Pollack with a study she conducted on the effects of caffeine on reef building corals.
There is evidence that this chemical, which is released in large volumes into the environment from treatment plants world wide, may contribute to coral bleaching. Pollack conducted experiments exposing several species of tropical, reef building corals (Genus Pocillopora, Acropora, and Montipora) to various concentrations of caffeine in order to determine whether loss of zooxanthellae occurs. These trials were conducted at UCI with coral fragments provided by the Aquarium of the Pacific.
Papers, presentations, or publications not available.
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Captive Growth Rates and Reproductive Biology of the Weedy Sea Dragon (2003)
The Aquarium of the Pacific supported this important study by providing Kristy Forsgren (a CSULB Master’s candidate) with the opportunity to conduct observations using their collection of rare weedy sea dragons.
Her work involved developing measurement techniques to quantify growth rates of sea dragons in captivity and the field, determining age or size at first reproduction by utilizing captive bred juveniles of known ages, and comparing growth rates of captive sea dragons with wild populations in southern Australia.
Recently, sea dragon populations have declined due to habitat destruction and pollution of coastal waters. Status of weedy sea dragon populations is unknown and the species has been listed as threatened on the IUCN List of Endangered Species.
Public displays of weedy sea dragons have become increasingly popular among public aquaria; however, the distinct lack of biological information on this species has made captive husbandry particularly challenging. Prior to this study, no scientific data has been published on weedy sea dragon life history or ecology, with exception of occasional anecdotal information that has been published in popular magazines and various sport diving publications.
PDF* Downloads:The Life History of Weedy Seadragons (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) | -
Leopard Shark Thermal Inertia Study (2005)
In 2005 the Aquarium’s animal husbandry department assisted CSULB graduate student Barbara Zeigler conduct research on leopard shark thermoregulation. Several of the Aquarium’s sharks were fed a small temperature logger then held in tanks containing varying temperature water. The purpose of this study was to determine the thermal inertia of leopard sharks (ie. - How long can they maintain their body temperature in varied temperature environments?)
This work was part of a larger study examining the behavior and foraging patterns of leopard sharks. It is hypothesized that leopard sharks may be behaviorally modifying their body temperature to improve physiologic processes involved in nutrition and reproduction.
PDF* Downloads: -
Flexibility and Morphology of Spines in Swimming Sharks (2006 – present)
The Aquarium of the Pacific is currently supporting a study by UC Irvine researcher, Marianne Porter that examines vertebral flexibility of swimming sharks and its effect on their maneuverability. The ability to maneuver quickly and effectively has behavioral implications ranging from mating to prey capture and predator avoidance.
The goal of this study is to quantify flexibility in species of varying swimming modes and describe the morphology (number of vertebrae and angle between vertebrae) of the vertebral column. The vertebral number, joint angle and swimming mode are expected to be significant predictors of flexibility. The study involves the use of video of live sharks as well as X-ray images.
Study still in progress (2007).
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Humbolt Squid Husbandry Research (2006 - 2007)
Assistant Curator of Fishes Steve Blair traveled to the Gulf of California in September 2006, where he made observations on the behavior of these little understood animals and conducted experiments aimed at determining their ability to tolerate capture, anesthesia and transport.
Basic biometric data including respiration rates and oxygen consumption levels are being studied. Further observations have been made with animals obtained near San Diego, Newport Beach and Long Beach, California in the Spring and Summer of 2007.
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A Study of the Taxonomy of Hydrocorals of the Genus Stylaster. (2002)
Samples of a local variety of cold water coral (Stylaster californicus) provided by the Aquarium of the Pacific have revealed, through the use of DNA analysis, that what was previously thought to be one species, is in fact, seven distinct species.
PDF* Downloads:From Offshore to Onshore: Multiple Origins of Shallow-
Water Corals from Deep-Sea Ancestors
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