TSA history_2024_FINAL - Copy.pdf

Public Aquarium – Animal Care Operations BIOL 4355 Wildlife Resiliency on the Texas Gulf Coast The contents of this document are confidential and intended solely for the designated recipient. Course Objectives Understand the complexities of aquarium/zoo operati...

Public Aquarium – Animal Care Operations BIOL 4355 Wildlife Resiliency on the Texas Gulf Coast The contents of this document are confidential and intended solely for the designated recipient. Course Objectives Understand the complexities of aquarium/zoo operations  Animal environments/Exhibits  Taxonomic specialties  Animal health  Education/Guest Service  Conservation & Wellness  Disaster Planning  Guest engagement  Wildlife Rescue  Water Quality and Life Support Final Project Develop an exhibit that incorporates the different components of the course Assigned species Present to TSA leadership team https://www.innovativeacrylics.com/industries/aquarium/public-aquariums-zoos/ Designs have been used by TSA for further development How does an Aquarium operate? Aquarium & Zoo History  Philadelphia Zoological Gardens - 1859  Belle Isle Aquarium, Detroit – 1904  18 Aquariums opened from 1981-2000  Includes TSA  Texas State Aquarium History  1969: Original vision  1988: Gulf of Mexico construction begins  1990: Grand Opening  1995: Rescue program started  2003: Dolphin Bay  2017: Caribbean Journey  2023: Center for Wildlife Rescue  2024: Wildlife Response Operation Center The contents of this document are confidential and intended solely for the designated recipient.  TSA Today Vision To be a global leader in fostering support for the conservation of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea Mission Engage people with animals, inspire appreciation for our seas, and support wildlife conservation  TSA Today  Official Aquarium of Texas  Largest in Texas  5th largest aquarium in the US  ~60 zoological staff  >4,000 animals  2 million gallons of seawater  50,000 gallons of seawater 2 X per week  550,000 annually  highest 2022 with 620,000 TSA Terminology  TSA – Texas State Aquarium  GMEB – Gulf of Mexico Exhibit Building  DB – Dolphin Bay  CJ – Caribbean Journey  WRC – Wildlife Rescue Center  AZA – Association of Zoos and Aquariums  WROC –Wildlife Response Operations Center  Animal Care Divisions Animal Operations Animal Wellness Wildlife Marine Animal Water Dive Fish/Herp Exhibits Rescue Mammals Health Quality Operations Horticulture Living Collection at TSA Taxa Male.Female.Unknown Species 342 Mammals 32.6.0 (38) Aves 75.57.3 (135) Herps 9.9.31 (49) Elasmobranchs 54.43.1 (98) Teleosts 21.19.1485 (1525) Invertebrates 0.0.2226 (2226) Brown Sharks 1.5 (6) Total 191.134.3746 (4071) Wildlife Rescue Program Rescue Patient Numbers 2005-2021  Largest coastal center in Texas  Only Texas facility permitted for marine mammals, birds, & sea turtles  Released over 5,300 animals back into the wild Wildlife Care Department  Patients  Aves – raptors and shorebirds  Sea turtles – all species  Marine mammals – dolphins and manatees  Facilities  Avian – critical care, mews, flight cages  Sea turtle – critical care, long-term holding  Marine mammal – critical care, long-term holding  Triage/treatment area  Surgical suite  Commissary/water quality laboratory  Rescue boat Avian Rehabilitation  Average 45-60 species per year  2005-2017  4,292 patients  Permits direct further treatment/care Sea Turtle Rehabilitation  Injuries  General health issues to pneumonia  Trauma – primarily boat strikes  Entanglement  Treatment and recovery  Antibiotics  Carapace surgery  Amputations Sea Turtle Rehabilitation cont  Fibropapillomatosis (FP)  External benign tumors  Herpes virus  Impact sight, eating, and locomotion  Treatment and recovery  Laser removal of external tumors Marine Mammal Rehabilitation  Injuries  General health issues  Shark interactions  Entanglement  Treatment and recovery  Patient stabilization  Long term animal recovery and holding Wildlife Rescue Program  Certified in oiled wildlife recovery  Response to large scale wildlife disasters  Partners  Federal – USF&W, National Park Service, NOAA, US Coast Guard  State – Texas Parks and Wildlife, General Land Office PREPARE, RESPOND, RECOVER  Country’s first wildlife Emergency Operations Center  Cooperative of State & Federal resource agencies  Monitor & manage wildlife emergency response on South Texas Gulf Coast The contents of this document are confidential and intended solely for the designated recipient.  Jul 2023: first tabletop exercise  Jan 2024: first activation, sea turtle cold-stunning event  Sept 2023: first functional exercise  May 2024: first AAR  Nov 2023: first weather disaster planning mtg  Jun 2024: hired Emergency Management Specialist, sea turtle  Dec 2023: final MOU executed IAP development meeting  Apr 2023: licensed for manatee rescue  Mar 2023: opened country’s largest coastal wildlife rescue center  Jan 2024: first large-scale disaster response  Jun 2024: licensed for American black bears & mountain lions  Jul 2024: raptors evacuated from upper Texas Coast due to Hurricane Beryl  Mar 2024: hosted multi- agency training exercise  Jun 2024: hired Training & Development Manager  Aug 2024: secured land for Center  Research wildlife disaster problems & solutions  Develop practical and economically feasible response plans  Partnerships with higher education  Sept 2023: sea turtle CT scan model 3D printed  Mar 2024: filed first patent for Aquatic Field Stabilization System  Apr 2024: purchased Imaging FlowCytobot for harmful algal bloom  Jul 2024: secured land for Center Strategic Partners  Texas A&M – Corpus Christi  National Park Service Final Project Develop an exhibit that incorporates the different components of the course Assigned species Present to TSA leadership team https://www.innovativeacrylics.com/industries/aquarium/public-aquariums-zoos/ Designs have been used by TSA for further development Questions?