From the News: First successful wild whale shark health assessments performed

First successful wild whale shark health assessments performed

Studying animals in their natural habitats is one of the greatest challenges in biology.  Many wild animals do not lend themselves easily to being observed, making it difficult to obtain useful observations of their behavior.  Obtaining physical data on live specimens - as opposed to dead ones that are encountered by chance, or collected by scientists - is even more difficult.   

It can be challenging to get your hands on animals without risking harm to either them or to the researchers.  Chemical immobilization and physical restraint are risky.  Research subjects could easily die of stress.  The knowledge that could be obtained could be extremely valuable for research and conservation purposes, but many scientists consider the risk to themselves and their subjects too great.

Among the great contributions that zoos and aquariums have made to conservation is providing a living laboratory for researchers.  In this case, the Georgia Aquarium has provided expertise and techniques for safely studying whale sharks.  In the safety of a controlled environment, with animals that are conditioned to human contact, scientists can perfect their methods for working with the world's largest fish.