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​​Using today's technology to share information globally for the benefit of the animal world. This is not just our mission it is our passion. We believe the most effective way to benefit the animals with whom we share the planet is to share what is known.

We partner with animal organizations to record conference presentations and present those presentations here for our members and partners.

​Our Founding Partners

2019 Conference Information

​​Information about the 2019 conferences we are covering or have covered.

National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association Symposium

NWRA March 5 - 9, 2019
conference videos are now available. Attendees and NWRA Members can login with the email address registered with NWRA.

Sea Otter Conservation Workshop

Seattle Aquarium hosted the Sea Otter Conservation Workshop March 29 - March 31, 2019. The
conference videos will be available by May 1, 2019. Attendees should be receiving emails with more information by May 20, 2019.

Aquatic Animal Life Support Operators

AALSO March 30 - April 3, 2019
conference videos will be available by May 6, 2019. Attendees and AALSO Members
should be receiving emails with more information by May 20, 2019.

Animal Behavior Management Alliance

ABMA April 7 - April 12, 2019
conference videos will be available by May 13, 2019. Attendees and ABMA Members
should be receiving emails with more information by May 20, 2019.

Cephalopod Symposium

Seattle Aquarium is hosting the Cephalopod Symposium April 24-25, 2019.  The symposium videos will be available by June 1, 2019. Attendees should be receiving emails with more information by May 20, 2019.

Regional Aquatics Workshop

RAW May 12-17, 2019.  
More information will be posted by June 3, 2019.

Recent Conference Videos

​​These are the recent conferences we have available.

Spotlight Videos of the Month

Target and Net Training with an Electric Eel

Lara Zamarripa,
National Aquarium Institute

Electric eels (Electrophorus electricus) are common at many public aquariums, including the National Aquarium, Baltimore Maryland, which houses an electric eel called Sparkay. Like all electric eels, it can be hazardous to work with and is capable of producing high voltage electric shocks that can travel throughout the exhibit. The eel also shares the common trait of near-blindness and uses the electric potential of objects to navigate. These characteristics make electric eels often difficult to feed, move for exhibit maintenance, and handle for medical procedures. Through diligent research and planning, a target was designed that allows the eel to target train using electrolocation. After target training was achieved, the eel was conditioned to curl up inside a net for transport. This paper outlines the steps used in training, as well as the pitfalls and successes of trying to work with an animal that sees the world in a completely different way than humans do.

Working as a Global Conservation Network:
Linking with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Kira Mileham, Kent Carpenter, Rob Bullock,
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC),
​Old Dominion University – IUCN Global Marine Species Assessment, The Deep Aquarium

Business as usual is no longer an option.  The aquarium community is facing a huge challenge to protect the species we care for; of the nearly 80,000 species assessed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, almost 30% are threatened with extinction. Conservation efforts continue to be surpassed by the pressures on biodiversity, especially in the aquatic realms.  Aquariums are critical players in protecting species in the wild, utilizing funds, expertise, facilities and public profiles to drive conservation efforts within their organizations and in the field. However, in the face of so many challenges, we need to collaborate strategically, combining our differing strengths and resources.  To do this, many aquariums are strengthening relationships with the IUCN Species Survival Commission.  These relationships focus on collaboration for Red List Assessments, conservation planning, and global networking to play a more integrated and global role alongside the world’s largest conservation network.