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From 6 to 11 September, we are participating in the European Union of Aquarium Curators (EUAC) conference, held this year at Nyíregyházi Állatpark – Sóstó Zoo in Hungary, home to more than 600 species and 6,000 animals, as well as an aquarium system with a total volume of as much as 5 million litres.
We participate in this conference every year, and this year’s edition has brought together around one hundred experts from across Europe. The main topics of the conference are animal welfare and biosafety. As part of the programme, the head of our molecular and microbiology laboratory, Dr Željko Pavlinec, gave a presentation today entitled “Genomic Identification of Jellyfish for Biosafety Management in Public Aquaria”.
The presentation attracted considerable interest and highlighted the importance of DNA analysis in identifying jellyfish species, particularly when they are exchanged and traded between aquariums. One example was the moon jellyfish (Aurelia spp.), for which genetic research conducted in our laboratory revealed that specimens that appear to belong to the same species actually represent as many as six different species. Some of these are traded between aquariums and may have significant invasive potential in areas where they are not native.
Other conference topics included water quality, aquarium design, animal microbiomes, education, nature conservation, management and scientific research. In addition to lectures, participants explored these topics through expert-guided tours of the zoo.
We are proud to have the opportunity to participate in one of the world’s largest aquarium conferences, where we exchange knowledge, experience and examples of good practice with leading experts from across Europe. We are especially pleased that our Director, Dr Milena Mičić, has been elected Regional Representative for Southeast Europe on the EUAC Executive Committee, recognising her many years of work and contribution to the development of the aquarium community and the conservation of the marine environment.
