Birch Aquarium’s Collaboration with SAFE Sharks and Rays

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums SAFE Sharks and Rays program is a collaborative effort by more than 60 organizations nationwide to work together to save the more than 1200 species of sharks and rays worldwide from extinction through evidence-based education and communication. Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography partners with SAFE Sharks and Rays in a variety of ways including contributing data to research projects, participating in science-based communications and fundraising.  Through this partnership, Birch Aquarium is able to promote shark and ray conservation while continually improving the quality of care of its resident animals. 

“Our partnership with SAFE Sharks and Rays enhances the work we do with our sharks and rays at Birch Aquarium,” said Jenn Nero, Senior Director Animal Care, Science and Conservation. “Contributing to this collaboration with the SAFE Sharks and Rays program promotes vital conservation needs in an often misunderstood group of animals that are critical to our ecosystems.” 

One of the ways Birch Aquarium partners with SAFE Sharks and Rays is through the AZA SAFE Elasmobranch Blood Project. The project targets four specific species, and Birch Aquarium is home to one of these– the Brownbanded Bamboo Shark. These collections provide valuable data toward understanding the health of these species as well as contributing to research that informs future care and conservation work. Learn more about how we collect blood from our sharks and rays. 

Birch Aquarium also participates in the Chondro Census which is an ongoing project to track and collect data about all sharks and rays in human care around the world. This kind of data is vital for creating an overall picture of the species in human care as well as a database of health information that can inform not only shark and ray care in aquariums, but conservation needs in their natural habitats. Birch Aquarium is the only SAFE Sharks and Rays partner organization with Pacific Angel Sharks, a species that spends much of its time hidden beneath sand or sediment awaiting prey. 

Taking Action
New for this year is Birch Aquarium’s Shark Summer event, which seeks to highlight the important role sharks and rays play in the ecosystem and the important conservation work being done to protect them globally. After Shark Summer, proceeds collected in the donation box in the aquarium’s Galleria during the event will benefit the SAFE Sharks and Rays program. This year the aquarium encouraged guests to donate directly to SAFE Sharks and Rays while also raising nearly $600 through donation boxes in the aquarium’s Galleria.  

Birch Aquarium also joined colleagues in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums through SAFE Sharks and Rays and the Aquarium Conservation Partnership in signing a letter support of the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposed rule to issue protective regulations for the IUCN-designated Critically Endangered Oceanic Whitetip Shark. Oceanic Whitetip Sharks are among the most threatened species of pelagic shark in the world and Birch Aquarium is proud to add support to this proposal. 

To learn more about shark and ray conservation, and how to get involved in protecting these amazing creatures, visit AZA SAFE: Sharks and Rays.