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FISHES AND MARINE INVERTEBRATES
LAKE VICTORIA - Lake Victoria Education Initiatives
There are programs in place in Kenyan schools, which have placed aquaria with local fishes in classrooms with interpretative materials using the National Museums of Kenya and biologists at the Kenyan Marine Fisheries Institute as the local partners. We are now focusing on assisting our Ugandan colleagues with similar exhibits and educational help. It is important that we make sure equal attention is given to all our African partners so that the people around the Lake are familiar with the conservation efforts and the importance of their natural resource, which is under extreme pressure. During the 2001/02 program the educational materials previously developed will be published, fundraising initiated, and supplies obtained for the African teachers to place tanks in their schools and exhibits in Uganda.
SEAHORSE - International Conservation.
The objective of this project is to draw the public's attention to the plight of the declining seahorse population and to examine the possibilities of maintaining seahorses in captivity. The Toronto Zoo is working in partnership with Project Seahorseã, the London Zoo and Shedd Aquarium, to exhibit seahorses and develop educational programs, outreach projects and educational materials for Zoo volunteers. Importantly, the Toronto Zoo will attempt to produce a protocol for captive management of specific species in terms of their nutritional requirements.
REDSIDE DACE (Clinostomus elongatus) - Conservation and Community Involvement of the Morningside Tributary.
RACE TO SAVE THE DACE - CONSERVATION IN OUR BACKYARD
The redside dace was formerly found on Toronto Zoo Property in the Morningside Tributary. The Zoo and its conservation partners are working hard to bring back this threatened species.
- 2002 a fish ladder was financed and built by the Toronto Zoo
- Spring and summer Zoo volunteer days bring local residents out to the Tributary, allowing them to help conserve their natural resources
- Toronto Zoo raises public awareness about the redside dace through education programs and materials specifically about this local species.
 Free Grade One lesson plans or Free Grade Seven lesson plans
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FISH RESCUE
The Toronto Zoo is working with a diverse group of partners including the Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Canadian Association of Aquarium Clubs and the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, on a home hobbyist awareness program. This project tries to relocate unwanted aquaria species by distributing fliers in Ontario-wide pet shops and by establishing a website resource. By reducing the number of foreign aquarium fish and plants that are released by owners into the Canadian ecosystem, the Fish Rescue program hopes to avoid problems with these introduced species outcompeting or preying on native flora and fauna.
Breeding, Recovery And Re-Introduction
REDSIDE DACE (Clinostomus elongatus) - Breeding Program.
The redside dace is federally recognized as a threatened species (COSEWIC). Since the redside dace was formerly found in the Rouge River located on Toronto Zoo property, it represents a conservation program in the Zoo's own backyard. The redside dace is now a Recovery Plan species and the Toronto Zoo is a participant in the development of this program. In 2002 major restoration work on the Tributary will result in the construction of a fish ladder. This project is financially supported by the Zoo.
Nutritional Research
SEAHORSES - The Nutritional Value of a Flake Diet versus a Regular Diet of Artemia for Seahorses (Hippocampus sp.)
The primary threat to the global seahorse populations is over-exploitation - for traditional medicines, aquarium fishes and curiosities. Currently, at least 45 countries are actively involved in the trade of seahorses, so the threat to wild populations is considerable. By studying juvenile seahorses, the most critical age in the seahorse's lifecycle, the effects of different diets can be seen by the presence or absence of normal development. This project will continue the study begun by Shaw et al (1999), and evaluate the traditional flake diet versus that of live artemia. A few seahorses will be selected to have their liver evaluated for degeneration and fatty acid composition in order to better identify the nutritional requirements of juvenile seahorses and determine an ideal diet. |
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