Assessing the conservation potential of fish and corals in aquariums globally

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dc.contributor.authorDa Silva, Ritaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorPearce-Kelly, Paulen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorZimmerman, Brianen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorKnott, Meredithen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorFoden, Wendyen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorConde, Dalia A.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2021-10-05T06:40:03Z
dc.date.available2021-10-05T06:40:03Z
dc.date.issued2019
dc.descriptionCITATION: da Silva, R. et al. 2019. Assessing the conservation potential of fish and corals in aquariums globally. Journal for Nature Conservation, 48:1-11. doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2018.12.001
dc.descriptionThe original publication is available at https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-for-nature-conservation
dc.description.abstractAquatic ecosystems are indispensable for life on earth and yet despite their essential function and service roles, marine and freshwater biomes are facing unprecedented threats from both traditional and emerging anthropogenic stressors. The resultant species and ecosystem-level threat severity requires an urgent response from the conservation community. With their care facilities, veterinary and conservation breeding expertise, reintroduction and restoration, and public communication reach, stand-alone aquariums and zoos holding aquatic taxa have great collective potential to help address the current biodiversity crisis, which is now greater in freshwater than land habitats. However, uncertainty regarding the number of species kept in such facilities hinders assessment of their conservation value. Here we analyzed, standardized and shared data of zoological institution members of Species360, for fish and Anthozoa species (i.e. Actinopterygii, Elasmobranchii, Holocephali, Myxini, Sarcopterygii and Anthozoa). To assess the conservation potential of populations held in these institutions, we cross-referenced the Species360 records with the following conservation schemes: the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES), the IUCN Red List of Threatened species, climate change vulnerability, Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) and The Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE). We found that aquariums hold four of the six fish species listed by the IUCN Red List as ‘Extinct in the Wild’, 31% of Anthozoa species listed by Foden et al. (2013) as vulnerable to climate change, 19 out of the 111 Anthozoa EDGE species, and none of the species prioritized by the AZE. However, it is very likely that significant additional species of high conservation value are held in aquariums that do not manage their records in standardized, sharable platforms such as Species360. Our study highlights both the great value of aquarium and zoo collections for addressing the aquatic biodiversity crisis, as well as the importance that they maintain comprehensive, standardised, globally-shared taxonomic data.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1617138118302723?via%3Dihub
dc.description.versionPublisher’s version
dc.format.extent11 pages : illustrations, mapsen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationda Silva, R. et al. 2019. Assessing the conservation potential of fish and corals in aquariums globally. Journal for Nature Conservation, 48:1-11. doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2018.12.001
dc.identifier.issn1617-1381 (print)
dc.identifier.otherdoi:10.1016/j.jnc.2018.12.001
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123125
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.rights.holderAuthors retain rights
dc.subjectAnimal recordsen_ZA
dc.subjectAquariums -- Environmental aspectsen_ZA
dc.subjectSpecies vulnerable to climate changeen_ZA
dc.subjectAquarium animals -- Effect of climatic changes onen_ZA
dc.subjectZoos -- Environmental aspectsen_ZA
dc.subjectAquatic biodiversity conservationen_ZA
dc.subjectAquarium fishes -- Ecologyen_ZA
dc.titleAssessing the conservation potential of fish and corals in aquariums globallyen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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