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22-737: Dolphin Lagoon is the venue for the main Aloha Naia show times daily at 12:30 and 3:30pm. The Penguin Habitat is home to the park's penguins, which are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan for the Humboldt penguin . Visitors to the park have the opportunity for up-close animal encounters daily, including Dolphin Encounters , Sea Lion Encounters , and

44-693: A conference in September, one of the largest zoo and aquarium professionals' events in the US. AZA also manages the citizen science program FrogWatch USA . In the United States, any public animal exhibit must be licensed and inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture , United States Environmental Protection Agency , Drug Enforcement Administration , Occupational Safety and Health Administration , and others. Depending on

66-657: A professional branch affiliate of the newly formed National Recreation and Park Association , which absorbed the American Institute of Park Executives. In the fall of 1971, the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums membership voted to become an independent association. On January 19, 1972, it was chartered as the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums with its executive office located in Wheeling, West Virginia , within

88-404: A token collection and, under the direction of a professional staff, provides its collection with appropriate care and exhibits them in an aesthetic manner to the public on a regularly scheduled basis. They shall further be defined as having as their primary business the exhibition, conservation and preservation of the earth's fauna in an educational and scientific manner." To achieve accreditation,

110-408: A zoo must pass an application and inspection process and meet or exceed AZA's standards for animal health and welfare, fundraising, zoo staffing, and involvement in global conservation efforts. Inspection is performed by three experts (typically one veterinarian, one expert in animal care, and one expert in zoo management and operations) and then reviewed by a panel of twelve experts before accreditation

132-672: A zoological setting. This has also led to AZA species reintroduction programs, examples of which include the black-footed ferret , the California condor , the northern riffleshell , the golden lion tamarin , the Karner blue butterfly , the Oregon spotted frog , the palila finch , the red wolf , and the Wyoming toad . An SSP master plan is a document produced by the SSP coordinator (generally

154-452: Is active in institution accreditation , animal care initiatives, education and conservation programs, collaborative research and advocacy. AZA serves as an accrediting body for zoos and aquariums and ensures accredited facilities meet higher standards of animal care than required by law. Institutions are evaluated every five years in order to ensure standards are met and to maintain accreditation. As of 2019 AZA had 238 accredited facilities in

176-710: Is awarded. This accreditation process is repeated once every five years. AZA estimates that there are approximately 2,800 animal exhibits operating under USDA license as of 2019; fewer than 10% are accredited. Certification is possible for facilities that hold animals, but are not regularly open to the public. AZA's Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) program prioritizes collaboration between zoos and aquariums to support highly vulnerable species. SAFE builds on existing recovery plans to implement strategic conservation and public engagement activities. In 2017, AZA member zoos and aquariums invested $ 15.6 million towards SAFE program species. The SAFE program signature species include

198-433: Is guided by Taxon Advisory Groups, whose sole objective is to curate Regional Collection Plans for the conservation needs of a species and how AZA institutions will cooperate to reach those needs. Today, there are almost 300 existing SSP programs. The SSP has been met with widespread success in ensuring that, should a species population become functionally extinct in its natural habitat, a viable population still exists within

220-469: Is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland , and accredits zoos. There were 238 accredited facilities as of 2019, primarily in the US, and also a handful in eleven other countries. In October 1924 the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums was formed as an affiliate of the American Institute of Park Executives. In 1966, the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums became

242-460: The African lion , African species of vultures , Asian elephant , Atlantic Acropora coral, black-footed ferret , black rhinoceros , cheetah , eastern indigo snake , giraffe , gorilla , sea turtles , orangutan , radiated tortoise , red wolf , sharks , and sting rays , vaquita , western pond turtle , and whooping crane . There were more than 20 species or taxonomic groups included in

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264-558: The Hawaiian Reef Encounters . The Bird Sanctuary is home to many wild marine birds including "iwa" ( great frigatebirds ), boobies , shearwaters , and albatrosses , most of which came to the sanctuary sick or injured. Visitors can see how these birds are cared for and rehabilitated. Daily Educational Talk Times May Vary by Day, but generally follow this schedule (as of 6.15.24): Sea Life Park Hawaii includes several programs that let visitors interact directly with

286-583: The Oglebay Park Good Zoo . In 1994, the shorter name American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) was adopted. In early 2018, AZA acquired the Wildlife Trafficking Alliance to help grow public awareness about the purchase and sale of illegal wildlife products in the United States. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums reported 195 million visitors to its 236 accredited member facilities in 2017. The organization

308-479: The 2004 film 50 First Dates . Association of Zoos and Aquariums The Association of Zoos and Aquariums ( AZA ), originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums , is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1924 and dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation , education, science, and recreation. AZA

330-464: The AZA community's research. To be a member, a facility must either be accredited or certified. Accredited facilities maintain a professional staff and appropriate animal care, and are open to the public on a predictable basis. The following list is from 2013. Pier 39 Pier 3, Inner Harbor Pier 59 Certified facilities maintain a professional staff and appropriate animal care, but are not open to

352-507: The Endangered Species Act. In 2017, member institutions reported participating in field conservation projects benefiting over 860 species in 128 countries. AZA zoos and aquariums spent $ 25 million on research and published 170 books, book chapters, journal articles, conference proceeding papers, posters and theses or dissertations. Animal care, health and welfare, followed by species and habitat conservation, describe 68% of

374-620: The US and eleven other countries: Canada , Mexico , Bermuda , The Bahamas , the Dominican Republic , Colombia , Argentina , Spain , Hong Kong , Singapore , and South Korea . Approximately 800,000 animals representing 6,000 species are in the care of AZA-accredited facilities, including 1,000 threatened or endangered species. The association also facilitates both species survival plans and population management plans, which serve to sustainably manage genetically diverse captive populations of various animal species. AZA holds

396-484: The animals in the water. All programs are run several times daily. [1] Conservation Sea Life Park Hawaii is active in several conservation areas, including the release of adolescent green sea turtles that were hatched and raised at the park. To date, the park has actively release upwards of 17,000+ Hawaiian green sea turtles (Honu) around the Hawaiian Islands. The park was used as a setting and featured in

418-788: The animals they exhibit, the activities of zoos are regulated by laws including the Endangered Species Act , the Animal Welfare Act , the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and others. Additionally, zoos in North America may choose to pursue accreditation by AZA. The American association has developed a definition for zoological gardens and aquariums as part of its accreditation standards: "A permanent cultural institution which owns and maintains captive wild animals that represent more than

440-467: The program as of 2019. The association has a computerized database called the Annual Report on Conservation and Science . This helps track AZA research projects worldwide. AZA member zoos and aquariums contribute $ 220 million to conservation projects each year. They participate in 115 reintroduction programs, including more than 40 programs for species listed as threatened or endangered under

462-457: The public on a predictable basis. Species Survival Plan The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the (American) Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums , most of which are threatened or endangered in the wild. SSP programs focus on animals that are near threatened, threatened, endangered, or otherwise in danger of extinction in

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484-674: The wild, when zoo and zoology conservationists believe captive breeding programs will aid in their chances of survival. These programs help maintain healthy and genetically diverse animal populations within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo community. AZA accredited zoos and AZA conservation partners that are involved in SSP programs engage in cooperative population management and conservation efforts that include research, conservation genetics, public education, reintroduction , and in situ or field conservation projects. The process for selecting recommended species

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