MCRI Research Archive
Below are the research projects (in PDF form where available) that the Aquarium of the Pacific has been involved in since the inception of MCRI.
The primary research efforts at the Aquarium of the Pacific are focused on species propagation. We have also developed collaborative relationships with various outside researchers and institutions who wish to study the species in our collection. In addition, our team of scientific divers support a variety of agencies and researchers in the field by collecting data.
Effects of Caffeine on Corals (2003)
The Aquarium of the Pacific assisted University of California, Irvine (UCI) Ph.D. candidate Kelly Pollack with a study she conducted on the effects of caffeine on reef-building corals.
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.
The Fish Assemblage of the Outer Los Angeles Breakwater (2002 - 2003)
Scientific divers from the Aquarium conducted numerous surveys at two locations near the mainland and at Catalina Island as part of a project to assist California State University, Northridge master’s of science candidate John Froeschke in this study comparing species of fishes and schooling and aggregating behavior.
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.
Study of Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) in Lorikeets (2001)
In 2001 the Aquarium of the Pacific provided nine lorikeets that had tested positive for the presence of psittacine beak and feather disease to Dr. Branson Richard at the University of Georgia Animal Disease Laboratory.
Pheromones in Crested Auklets (2000 - present)
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.
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.