In-Situ vs Ex-Situ Conservation

I came to Marine Dynamics to see how in-situ conservation was carried out in a marine environment, and while I definitely accomplished that goal, my time with them also yielded some interesting comparisons between in-situ conservation through ecotourism and ex-situ conservation in a zoo setting!

A Siamang gibbon – one of several endangered species found in Dublin Zoo.

To provide some context, I work as an educator with the Discovery & Learning department in Dublin Zoo, Ireland. Dublin Zoo is one of the oldest in the world, and since opening in 1831 it has changed a lot in how it operates with respect to animal care and wildlife conservation. The zoo is home to 67 animal species, with all but two of those being terrestrial species. So to say I was quite surprised to see so many similarities between how Dublin Zoo carries out its ex-situ conservation work and how Marine Dynamics carries out its in-situ work would be an understatement!

The similarities immediately begin with the fact that both operate as non-profit organisations. Much like how Marine Dynamics’ conservation and research are supported through the shark cage diving tours, marine big five tours, sponsorships, and internship and volunteer programmes, the work conducted by Dublin Zoo is supported by ticket purchases, merchandise and adoption packs, online donations and sponsorships. While the non-profit approach isn’t always reliable (both organisations were heavily impacted by lockdowns during the covid-19 pandemic), it allows customers to feel comfortable knowing that the money they are spending to visit them is going towards genuine conservation work with the aim to protect endangered species and their environments. Dublin Zoo is fortunate enough to receive on average around 1.2 million visitors a year, which allows it to create the best spaces possible for the animals in its care and fund several conservation ventures outside of the zoo itself.

Dublin Zoo is home to Humboldt penguins, which are classed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list. Dublin Zoo also supports Sphenisco, which aims to protect these penguins in their native habitat on the Pacific east coast of South America.

As mentioned, conservation is the main drive behind both organisations. Marine Dynamics carries this out more directly by carrying out research projects on marine species and environments through data collection on tour boats, designated research vessels to collect photo and video footage of marine habitats, and the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary which works to rehabilitate ill and injured penguins to prevent further loss to populations of this endangered species across South Africa.

Dublin Zoo, meanwhile, participates in conservation work by providing funding and assistance to a variety of in-situ conservation organisations around the world. Many of these organisations work with species found in Dublin Zoo, but in the last three years, the list has expanded to include more Irish conservation groups and international groups working with animals not found in the zoo. As well as funding, Dublin Zoo exchanges research data with these groups and provides opportunities for further collaboration where possible. An example of this was when the Snow Leopard Trust was recently invited to test new camera traps designed to be able to use AI software to identify individual snow leopards via their unique spot patterns. The cameras were placed in Dublin Zoo’s snow leopard habitat for an extended period to ensure they worked as intended before being placed out in the big cat’s native home range of the Himalayas.

Both groups have also had an impact on national policy and curriculum. Marine Dynamics has been working tirelessly to draft national policy around protecting bronze whaler sharks and removing them from target fishing lists, along with policy around fishing and recreational water activities around Dyer Island, where a small colony of the endangered African penguins live. Last year, Dublin Zoo was able to be involved in the development of Ireland’s 4th national biodiversity plan for the period of 2023 to 2027, with the hopes of continuing to advise and assist in further plans over the next several years.

Dublin Zoo’s female snow leopard, Tashi.

Education is also a massive part of the work conducted by both organisations. What makes Marine Dynamics’ shark cage diving tours stand out from other companies in Gansbaai is the educational discussions had before, on, and after the boat trips. The biologists on board both the shark and Marine Big 5 tours spend time talking about the biology and lives of the animals seen, what threats they have been facing in the wild, and what the customers can do to help protect these wild animals in their native habitats. They also have their primary school outreach programme called “DEEP”, which aims to build an understanding, respect, and admiration for marine wildlife and habitats in primary school students in the wider Gansbaai area.

Dublin Zoo’s Discovery & Learning department works throughout the year with school groups and students of all ages that visit the zoo to participate in workshops on subjects such as adaptations, habitats, ecology, sustainability, conservation, animal care and more. The aim of all these workshops is to promote an understanding of the work conducted by the zoo, an understanding of how ecosystems function, and what they as individuals and groups can do to help protect wildlife through small, daily actions. In 2022, Dublin Zoo reached almost 30,000 students directly.

Thanks to Marine Dynamics, bronze whaler sharks are offered complete protection around cage diving sites in Gansbaai.

Perhaps where Marine Dynamics and Dublin Zoo differ most is in their approach to breeding endangered species. Marine Dynamics makes a conscious effort not to breed any of the penguins or other seabirds in the care of the sanctuary so as to avoid putting any further strain on the already stressed populations of these penguins in the wild.

Dublin Zoo, on the other hand, participates in international breeding programmes with 38 of their 67 species. These breeding programmes are regulated and organised through several organisations – BIAZA, EAZA, and WAZA. The purpose of these programmes is to build up the populations of endangered species while also increasing genetic diversity within these populations. The use of genetics to help in advising these programmes is seen as particularly important should any of these zoo-bred populations be required to help “restart” wild populations if their numbers decrease to a potentially genetically bottlenecked level. Over the years, Dublin Zoo has had great success with breeding many endangered species – between 2014 and 2018, a grand total of 7 Asian elephants were born in the zoo, with many of them now having gone to other zoos in Europe, Australia, and the USA to continue to take part in these programmes. Several southern white rhinos have also been born in the zoo in the last few years, most recently the female calf, Malika, who was born in early January of 2023. Among other successes include several red pandas over the last few decades, a pair of critically endangered western lowland gorillas in 2019, and a pair of endangered Amur tiger cubs in early 2018.

A bronze whaler shark seen while out on a Marine Dynamics shark cage diving tour.

Though the differences in the kind of conservation work that both organisations carry out are quite obvious at the surface level, the similarities become all the more clear – and all the more surprising given those differences – as one spends time with the Marine Dynamics team and learns more about how the organisation carries out its conservation work around Gansbaai and the wider area. Given these similarities, hopefully, there will be opportunities for both organisations to learn from one another and spark new ideas that may be of benefit to both, in spite of their differences!

Conservation is a wide and varied field of work, and there’s clearly no one particular way to go about it. But being able to see the differences and similarities between different groups and how they operate can only be of benefit, provided the people involved are open to learning and sharing.

After all, we all share the same end goal of protecting wild animals and their habitats.