Also, I had an excellent Skype conversation with the old director of the WSORC (in Honduras) which has now left me scratching my head again about the exact direction I want to take for this project. I presented my option 1 and option 2 to him and he pointed out that the Georgia Aquarium is easier, closer and offers a higher chance of seeing a whale sharks than in Honduras. But then we got started talking about the ethics of aquariums and "no matter how big an aquarium is, it will never be big enough for a whale shark" (let alone the 4 they have in the Georgia Aquarium. Not to mention the fact it was "built" to hold 2 more! It's such a joke that someone gets paid to design the caged parameters for wild animals. Rarely, if ever, will it be the appropriate dimensions. I'm sure it's based more on a layout that visitors find convenient instead of maximizing the land use for the animals themselves). I know the ethical issues with zoos and aquariums. Environmental studies (one of my emphases) is basically just studying ethical issues and arguing over the philosophical un-answerable questions brought up. But something about talking with this director just clicked with me. The sight of a whale shark in an aquarium is enough to captivate me, and it is probably that sense of wonder that lulls me into the mindset that whale sharks are ok in their tank because if I'm enjoying the experience, surely they are too. <--- Wrong. Also, Dawn's comment was extremely helpful by pointing out that working at an aquarium could be an opportunity to study exactly in what ways research in aquariums is flawed. Is the information we're learning worth the cost of kidnapping whale sharks from their homes and permanently disrupting them? How accurate can behavior, feeding, and breeding be studied? Right now I'm convinced the only truly accurate research the Georgia Aquarium carries out with whale sharks is the genetic sampling they do. But now they have those samples, so there's no more need to house the specimens. Samples can be taken in the wild too though. Breeding research would be the other useful thing to study with whale sharks in an aquarium because they have never been seen mating or giving birth. Only recently was it discovered that whale sharks are viviparous. For everything else: migration, feeding, environmental interactions, behavior, age... I'm under the impression it's best to study it out in the wild.
So now what? I won't find out if I got the Georgia Aquarium internship until next month. That will determine my timeline for everything else. I am really digging this idea of comparing whale shark research done in the wild with the research done in an aquarium. Too bad I can't do effective research in Honduras because they don't have a freaking research scientist on staff! So I guess I need to just assume I'm going to Honduras. The volunteer coordinator is waiting for me to send word of when i'm coming and for how long. I feel like i'm years behind Jessica in getting scholarships, so that will be the focus of my progress for next week. Things to work on for next week will be figuring out how to pay for Honduras and planning what I'm going to teach everyone about whale sharks... and how to say all that in Spanish.
ummm I love and admire you for the work you want to do with your life? That is the least I can say. I am an avid animal lover/vegan/animal rights proponent, so I REALLY appreciate your passions!! I think the comparison you want to do between research-in wild versus research-in captivity is an incredible idea. Something else I am wondering... of course people like you and I are fascinated by the potential research on animal behavior etc. just out of love and curiosity, but are there other benefits? Do we do research on animals to better understand ourselves? It seems that all too often humans disregard all animals as inferior because they cannot speak and are inherently different from ourselves, yet they are so similar and are superior to us in SO many ways. But back to my question, apart from the fact that they are intriguing, why is research being done on whale sharks? Is one reason so that they can be advocated for? I completely agree with you when it comes to being disturbed by humans putting their own interests and pleasure (in getting to observe whale sharks etc.) before that of animals, without regard to their desire to be in their natural environment. It really is an artificial experience. We are basically showing, "this is what this species looks like when they are completely out of their element." How can you adequately commune and empathize with and understand another creature from behind a pane of glass? It is for entertainment value, in my opinion, rather than about bringing humans and animals together. It is an exhibit of domination. Anyways, I am rambling, but you are awesome, and I would love to do the work you will be doing. Thank you for you sensitivity and compassion for animals! There need to be more people like you in the world!
ReplyDeleteLeah,
ReplyDeleteafter seconding Jessica's remarks, and then also agreeing with your plan to focus on figuring out money issues asap, I wanted to emphasize that the second of your two questions above ("How accurate[ly] can behavior, feeding, and breeding be studied?") is the one to work with, given your opportunities. I might rephrase it a bit: "feeding and breeding" can be subsumed under "behavior" to avoid redundancy, and the "how accurately" could perhaps be thought of as "how most accurately." Then throw in the aquarium-vs.-wild distinction. So the question becomes, "How can we most accurately study the behavior of the whale shark--through aquarium research or in the wild?" Now, you could use a combination of library research and both internships to help you come to a preliminary answer to that question (which is the most you can hope for at this point in your career). Finally, just riffing a bit further on Jessica's remarks, you may want to keep in the back of your head the possibility that what goes for whale sharks might well go for other species as well. Somewhere in the concluding discussion to your actual capstone you may have the opportunity therefore to address the broader ecological and perhaps even ethical value of research on whale sharks.
Leah,
ReplyDeleteI'll add my two-cents worth, which is, most simply, that a dilemma, in the course of research, is often the surest sign of progress.
I take it that you'll have to wait to hear from Georgia. If they turn you down you have no dilemma. If you have both opportunities, then back to a tough decision.
If you're forced to choose, one thing you might consider is which opportunity will lead you to the best thesis, and then to the best boost to your next move (graduate school?).
You can count on some kind of grant from integrated studies. I talk budget with Mark Olson on Thursday and if you need money for either internship, we can get you started.
I'd suggest that you apply for SCOP money and for CEL money and for money from the Dean of Science (Sam Rushforth). Do it before you know about Georgia. But in the proposal lay out the two possibilities. Include the correspondence with the Honduras place and the application for Georgia. Point out that you'll need travel money and money for the stay in either case. Say the Honduras is a sure thing. And you'll be surprised, I bet, with the results. If you need a faculty member to apply with you (and you may for the CEL grant), Mark and/or I would be happy to help.