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Seattle Aquarium helps ‘Reshark the Ocean’ with global rescue effort
Three Indo-Pacific leopard sharks at the Seattle Aquarium—Oatmeal, Lazlo, and Kuda—are part of an international effort to restore endangered shark populations in Indonesia.
SEATTLE - More than 7,000 miles from the tropical waters of Indonesia, a rescue mission is quietly underway at the Seattle Aquarium. Three young Indo-Pacific leopard sharks, Oatmeal, Lazlo and Kuda, are part of a conservation program aimed at helping their species survive in the wild.
What they're saying:
"We are in Seattle, which is arguably not a tropical climate," said Kelly Douglas, senior aquarist at the Seattle Aquarium.
Inside the Newfound Ocean Pavilion, Oatmeal and Kuda swim gracefully among bow-mouth guitarfish and eagle rays — a far cry from the coral reefs and sandy flats they would encounter in their native habitat near Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, a region known as the Coral Triangle.
Morning routine under the surface
Before the aquarium opens to visitors, Douglas prepares the sharks’ daily meals, meticulously measuring each portion. "Each one of our animals has a diet set up for the day," she said.
Some days, the sharks receive lobster or shrimp. During FOX 13 Seattle's visit, the sharks were fed squid by hand. This intentional feeding is done to familiarize the animals with the aquarium care team and to prevent them from eating other species in their Ocean Pavilion habitat.
The feeding process is highly organized. Douglas uses a bell and a target to cue the sharks, ensuring they know when and where to feed.
Young sharks play key role in repopulation
Big picture view:
Indo-Pacific leopard sharks face significant threats in the wild, including hunting and accidental capture in fishing nets. Because their population is fragile, conservation efforts are crucial to help the species repopulate. That’s where Oatmeal, Kuda, and Lazlo come in.
Leopard shark eggs.
By serving as part of a carefully managed breeding and egg-transfer program, these young sharks may one day help restore their species to the waters of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
"Oatmeal will have her choice of gentleman in Kuda and Lazlo, and once they reach breeding age, hopefully they will be a part of that transfer of eggs from Seattle to Indonesia," Douglas said.
Global network aims to ‘reshark’ the ocean
Seattle has joined a 44-aquarium alliance spanning 15 countries to help "reshark the ocean."
What's next:
Currently, Oatmeal is only a year and a half old, so the three Seattle sharks aren’t contributing to the cause just yet. In the meantime, these partner aquariums are transporting fertilized shark eggs, often called "mermaid purses," to the Seattle Aquarium as a sort of layover before they are shipped overseas, hatched, raised as pups and eventually released into protected habitats. The goal is to return more than 500 sharks to the Coral Triangle.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.