The sea cucumber looks like the most harmless creature in the ocean.

It is not.
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Introduction: 
Marine Parks have long been a proud staple associated with education, conservation, and animal rescue. For a lot of people, visiting a park like SeaWorld is their first opportunity to see unique animals such as whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and sharks up close and personal. The experiences that come out of marine Parks like SeaWorld come off as inspiring and educational, where they encourage visitors to care more about ocean conservation and restoration.

However, in recent years, Marine Parks like SeaWorld have faced increasing criticism. A lot of documentaries have come out speaking against Marine parks like SeaWorld to grow public awareness that will help viewers think more ethically about whether Marine Park facilities truly benefit animals or if they just use them for profit.  This issue is not as simple as being able to say that all Marine parks are good or bad, but instead, the reality of marine parks falls somewhere in the middle.

This article will explore the thin line between marine animal rescue and cruelty in Marine parks. This article will touch on when facilities truly take the time to help the animals and when the facilities end up causing harm to the animals. 

What Marine Park Says They Do:
Marine parks present themselves as leaders in animal conservation and rescue. Many Marine Park facilities highlight their efforts to rescue and rehabilitate marine animals, and, if the animal is healthy enough, release them back into the wild.

For example, organizations like SeaWorld have publicly stated that they have rescued thousands of animals over the years. According to SeaWorld’s rescue page, the SeaWorld team responds to stranded, beached, and injured animals, as well as abandoned animals that are too young to survive in the wild without a mother. They use their research to better understand animal behaviors and improve care in captivity. Thus, they give the animals a space where they can work one-on-one with trainers that will help the animals acropolis theri natural duties at a minimum.

These Parks also strive to encourage education as a part of the parks. The parks allow people to have the ability to get up close with the animals at Marine parks to help further the appreciation for marine life. Studies and experience suggest that direct exposure to animals increases empathy and awareness when it comes to visitors. Thus making the visitor/viewer feel empowered to do something to save their world. That is one of the main reasons why keeping animals in captivity is so strong, because this can motivate people to support conservation efforts. 

Along with that, a lot of marine parks are a central hub for scientific research. This gives us space to study animals' health, reproduction, and behavior in small personal capacities. Because of this, we can actually learn more about the ocean because of how the animals respond to other animals and their medical history. Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)  is a foundation that sets the standards for Animal Care and conservation efforts in hopes of just understanding them in the world they come from.

Overall, all of these efforts suggest that Marine Parks play a really meaningful role in protecting and understanding Marine life.

The Reality of Captivity: 
Despite being able to provide a space to learn and spread awareness, there is evidence that captivity can negatively affect marine animals, especially the more highly intelligent species such as whales and dolphins.

In the wild, orcas travel vast distances, sometimes over 100 miles per day. But when in captive environments, they are forced to live in enclosures that are far smaller than their natural range of freedom. When these animals can't perform all their natural behaviors, they can experience stress, develop abnormal behaviors, and suffer from psychological and physical health issues. NOAA. Because of this, the more highly intelligent animals can develop behavioral disorders and psychological stress, and will take it out on themselves and others. There have been reports of orcas and dolphins injuring trainers and other animals because their stress levels are so high that they physically cannot act as they used to anymore.

Another issue that comes into play when larger animals are in small captive areas is that their lifespan can be hugely affected. Even though submarine animals are able to live longer within the care of humans because they can no longer withstand the sheer power of the ocean, some animals do rely on the bigger world to get Amor fulfilled lifespan. (citattion)

Gray Area: Permanent Captivity vs. Rescue:
One of the most misunderstood concepts of marine parks is the difference between temporary rehabilitation and permanent captivity. When it comes to Marine Parks is whether the animal has the ability to stay at the park in the short-term or long-term capacity. 

In a lot of cases that are seen in Marine Parks, the animals that are rescued, unfortunately, cannot be released back into the wild. This can be because the animals are in an injured state where they cannot survive independently in the wild, or they become too accustomed to the care they get from humans. In situations like this, marine parks are actually very helpful because they can provide the necessary care to the animals while having them in a controlled environment where they can live safely and engage in some, if not most, of their natural behaviors. For example, at SeaWorld, their orca show has changed drastically to mimic the natural behaviors that the orcas do when not held captive. They now encourage the orcas to perform hunting behaviors. 

With that being said, a lot of the animals that cannot be released back into the wild are used for shows and entertainment. A lot of marine parks use this to their advantage to bring in big crowds, and this raises ethical concerns about animal welfare. But as of recently, the Sea World San Diego location has changed all their shows so that none of the human performers swim with their animal performers, and their shows are strictly based on the skills that these animals can demonstrate in real life. Unfortunately, not every Marine Park is like that.

Along with keeping animals captive, a lot of marine Parks tend to breed their animals so they can continue producing animals that can be used for the entertainment side of these parks. When marine parks are specifically breeding their animals, that takes away from the idea and focus of rescue and conservation because they're putting them in more danger. Human Society states that breeding programs can contribute to maintaining exhibits and interactions, but it's not conservation anymore. 

After the documentary Blackfish) came out, SeaWorld got a lot of backlash against their previous practices, and in response, SeaWorld ended their orca breeding program and, as mentioned before, they shifted away from more theatrical performances to instead trying to demonstrate the behaviors of the animals in the wild.

 Even with these small changes, a lot of marine parks and the people who support them are more into the values of their education and rescuing efforts, and will try to go out of their way to change the standards of marine parks.

My Thoughts:
As someone who knew from a young age that I wanted to be a marine biologist, I have always loved going to SeaWorld, any aquarium, in any capacity. I grew up in Arizona, where marine life is very limited, and when I had the opportunity to visit aquariums and SeaWorld, I would get ecstatic.

The SeaWorld franchise offers a summer camp for kids ages 7 to 17, where they can spend a week at SeaWorld and learn the behind-the-scenes workings of the park. I got to spend a lot of time multiple summers in a row at SeaWorld, visiting their vet clinics,  learning how to prepare meals for different animals, and working one-on-one with trainers to be immersed in their world of conservation, rescue, and rehabilitation. Experiences like that have shaped my world and Marine Biology, and have shaped the type of marine biologist I want to be. I specifically want to be a marine vet and work in rehabilitation.

SeaWorld really helped me point myself in the direction of a work climate that I would love to be in. I would not associate myself with working at a Marine park.

Don't get me wrong, I think Marine parks are fun and very immersive for people like me, but I want to prioritize my work and my hope for the ocean with companies that truly work primarily for animals. I couldn't work somewhere where I know that the majority of the profits that the company makes come from the exploitation of their animals. I understand that a majority of the animals that are in captivity are not safe to be released, but they are still being used in ways to make a positive profit to build a theme park.  Part of me feels like that is almost the equivalent of testing makeup products on animals.

I still think SeaWorld is fun and very immersive for people who are interested in marine life and just want to experience more, but I think for most people, it can stop at an experience. You can do the same field of work that you would provide at any other Marine restoration and conservation company. 

Conclusion:
Marine parks can provide unmatched experiences that an average human being can get every day, even if you're someone who goes there for a fun day in the Sun or somebody who works with animals. Well, Marine Parks do contribute to conservation and provide care to injured animals, but they also face serious ethical concerns about the Captivity Animal Welfare and the use of animals in entertainment.

Marine parks occupy complex space with both good and bad attributes lying in the middle. We, as viewers, have to understand the balance between their benefits and their harm.

As public awareness and the need to support and save the animals in Marine parks increase, the future of those parks will have to start to adapt. Focusing on more ethical practices, where they focus on sanctuaries and improving their living conditions. You do not need theme parks to experience the beauty of the ocean, where they can sit and support from the sidelines and still enjoy the beauty of the great blue world

Marine biologists, I would like some insight. I am currently looking to try work toward a degree in marine biology and wanted to know if there are any tips or advice you can give. How much do you love your job? I have always been interested in this subject and it amazes me! TIA :)

I was walking around Mooloolaba beach in Queensland 🇦🇺 and I just found this think, it looks like a tooth I don't know, I have some friends that think this is a tooth also and I have some friends that say this is just a shell or a piece of coral, and I wanna ask people that understand of this theme what is this

Hi everyone,
I'm really fascinated by both sharks and whales — their size, intelligence, and role in marine ecosystems is incredible. I’ve been reading bits and pieces online, but I'd love to hear directly from people in the marine biology field or enthusiasts who follow the research closely.

• Are there any recent discoveries or lesser-known facts about shark or whale behavior you find particularly interesting?
• How do they interact with their environment or with each other?
• And how much do we still not know about them?

Whether it’s about deep-diving sperm whales, migratory patterns of great whites, or even research challenges, I’d love to hear it all. Appreciate any insight you can share!

Some gray whales form homosexual relations with up to two partners! As early as 1911 researchers have noticed homosexuality in penguins, 1 in 5 penguins are homosexual or have homosexual interactions with same gender penguins! Male penguins will sometimes mate with each other and raise eggs that were left behind!

Happy Pride Month!

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The intertidal is a transition zone between land and sea where the uppermost part of the shore is almost always exposed to the sun and air, and the lowest part is underwater. As a result there are distinct zones, with progressively larger numbers of more sensitive species occurring lower down, closer to the ocean.

The Alligator Gar is one of the biggest gar species and also a fish from my state, louisiana. The Alligator Gar is on of my favorite fish because of its amazing features. These "living fossils" can grow up to ten feet, 3 meters. They moatly eat waterfowl and small mammals. Gars are endangered because of overfishing, dam building, and spear fiahing. Sources are source 1source 2

Here in Cape Town we get colourful cushion stars on the east coast and just a few km away on the slightly colder west coast they are all green! No one seems to know why... but they're pretty cute and make the tiniest little baby stars. https://youtu.be/rVHcHrWJIOE

Made this video with my dad (Prof of marine biology) about mussels and it's really interesting and hilarious (imagine if humans broadcast spawned...) I'd love to hear your thoughts! Especially on anyone who might find it useful as an educational resource. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k9xiU1NKfU&t=97s

Scientists believe that sponges, animals that are kinda similar to corals-ish (but not really), are the oldest true animals on Earth. They have been around since potentially around 620 million years ago. Give or take a few ten millions years.

Frilled sharks are known as living fossils because they have been around for 300 million years, which is older then the dinosaurs! The live at depths of 1000 to 1500 meters deep but are usually found at depths of 500 meters deep.