Do they sponsor research into wild whale sharks also or have field studies on them?
List below is from the Georgia Aquarium Website. It looks like one current and two planned reserach projects.
Current Projects
Cancun Whale Shark Study: The project, in collaboration with Mote Marine Laboratory and the government of Mexico, conducts research to give a better understanding of the natural food eaten by whale sharks and population demographics of whale sharks through conventional tags and satellite tags.
Bacterial Succession in the Georgia Aquarium: This project, in collaboration with the University of Georgia, will be the first complete analysis of bacterial succession in a major aquarium and will give a better understanding of how bacteria affect water chemistry and fish health.
Veterinary Services Clinical Research: The Georgia Aquarium animal health facility conducts ground-breaking research. The facility analyzes nutrition, treatments and blood chemistry. The clinical research benefits both the exhibit animals as well as wild populations.
Coral Bleaching, Recovery and Conservation Project: This long-term monitoring project in Fiji is sponsored by the Henry Foundation and is in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology. The project studies Caribbean coral genetics and live rock cultivation.
Aquaculture Program: The Georgia Aquarium is working with groups around the world on improved methods for farming giant cuttlefish, sea dragons, jellies and coral.
Future Research & Conservation Projects
- Whale shark sensory biology
- Whale shark tagging and cnservation in Taiwan
- Expanded aquaculture program and experimental aquaculture on rare species
- Researching giant squid, humboldt squid, sailfish and opah
- Right whale conservation & marine mammal stranding research
- Exploration of ocean depths 300 feet - 600 feet
