And the Georgia Aquarium Kills Another...

I'm going to have to side with the experiment on this one. You learn by doing. All I ask is that the experiement be done with care and caution, that mistakes are recognized and not repeated, and that the animals are treated with care and dignity. They screwed up. Hopefully they learned.
 
I hope so too. And, I am not against some experiment and research for the sake of future care and understanding. I just wish that were trully the reason for them being there and I don't believe it is. Below is a quote from Bernie Marcus, the founder of the Aquarium. If I got on here and said that I went to the lfs and bought fish that weren't compatible "because the experts said it couldn't be done" I would be thouroughly thread flogged I believe. I believe the decision was entirely business & ego based. That is only my opinion.

"All the experts said, 'You can't do it,' " Marcus said when the whale sharks arrived. "I just love that — when they tell you that you can't do it."
 
and the beluga whale was already quite ill when they took it in from a theme park where it lived in a pool underneath a roller coaster. skin and bone diseases, etc. . .
 
I guess I sorta see both sides, one cant learn more about something they know little about without a little experimentation. The comment about "too soon to tell if the pesticide had effect" I think is way off..... If I plop something in my tank and all of a sudden things die off I sorta wonder.

I guess there are three unfortunate tragedies.... The loss of the first whale shark possibly due to "dosing a tank"

The loss of a second whale shark in the same tank due to the lack of ability to work with a quarantine tank (thats one big extra tank!)

and the loss of freedom in research data due to media and public outcry, there is a huge possibility that research and divulgence of what really happened (when and if they figure it out) will be hugely stifled due to the nature of the media's ability to inflict negative spin and the need for corporate entity to protect themselves against it.

what's done is done, best case now, they use the two dead fish to learn as much as possible and dont make any of the same changes to other tanks with the same species until they find out what the problem is. If we learn something, all is not lost. Frustrating
 
Very good points JRC and I do agree. My fear is that they did not wait long enough to investigate before replacing them. They've already received 2 more Whale Sharks from Taiwan. I hope the Sharks live long lives and that much is learned from them being there. I guess my main issues are not "what" they're doing, but more "how" they're going about it and at least the appearance that alot is being driven from a tourism and income perspective.
 
Unfortunately in the large aquaria market tourism is what keeps it going, even in many research facilities it's one of the only ways to help fund the research.

I guess time will tell, hopefully the new pair will be respected and taken care of rather than just regarded as "replacements".
 
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