Modern zoos and aquariums aspire to contribute significantly to biodiversity conservation and research. For example, conservation research is a key accreditation criterion of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). However, no studies to date have quantified this contribution. We assessed the research productivity of 228 AZA members using scientific publications indexed in the ISI Web of Science (WoS) database between 1993 and 2013 (inclusive). AZA members published 5175 peer-reviewed manuscripts over this period, with publication output increasing over time. Most publications were in the zoology and veterinary science subject areas, and articles classified as “biodiversity conservation” by WoS averaged 7% of total publications annually. From regression analyses, AZA organizations with larger financial assets generally published more, but research-affiliated mission statements were also associated with increased publication output. A strong publication record indicates expertise and expands scientific knowledge, enhancing organizational credibility. Institutions aspiring for higher research productivity likely require a dedicated research focus and adequate institutional support through research funding and staffing. We recommend future work build on our results by exploring links between zoo and aquarium research productivity and conservation outcomes or uptake.

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Stingray spine use in Maya human bloodletting rituals has long been an accepted phenomenon. Recent work has suggested that intact spines may have been used and that the symptoms resulting from envenomation were an important part of the bloodletting ritual. Zoological and medical research, however, indicate that stingray toxins pose a more serious threat to human health than mere pain and inflammation. Medical studies conducted to track injuries resulting from stingray attacks report that some two-thirds of all cases result in tissue necrosis. Reconciling the use of stingray spines by the Maya with the physiological effects they present is crucial if we are to understand how the Maya viewed toxic marine materials and why they incorporated them in their ritual behaviors. Correlations between political events and stingray spine use may hold the key for understanding how these objects were articulated into the larger social and political sphere. We provide a discussion of the effects of stingray envenomation and the health risks inherent to the ritual use of stingray spines as bloodletters among the ancient Maya. Finally, we offer some possible explanations for the role of cleaned and defleshed spines in ritual contexts.

The Guiana Shield in northeastern South America contains some of the largest tracts of intact forests on the globe. Guyana alone has more than 80% forest cover. In south-central Guyana a unique biogeographic feature allows for a hydrological connection between the Guiana Shield with the Amazon basin via the Rupununi savannas and wetlands (Rupununi Portal). This corridor allows for connectivity between two of the most biodiverse, carbon rich, and intact forests in the world. The significance of this (and other) hydrological corridors for terrestrial and aquatic species is underappreciated in the scientific literature. We attempt to determine the importance of the surrounding mosaic of habitats that influence fish assemblages in the Rupununi Portal. We extensively sampled fishes in this corridor over six expeditions. Multivariate analyses revealed significant trends in fish assemblage structure and environmental conditions. We found high species richness and diversity within the Takutu (Amazon River drainage) and Rupununi rivers (Essequibo River drainage). Fish assemblages were found to be most similar within the specific river drainages with some similarity within forest and savanna sites. A second Rupununi portal was revealed in the South Rupununi, at the upper Rupununi and Takutu Rivers. Ordination analyses found water body type, vegetation and water chemistry to be significantly structuring the fish assemblages of the Rupununi. Our study reveals the interdependent nature of the various habitats in the Rupununi that facilitate high biodiversity and maintain the ecosystem. With the increase in human activity in this region, and the increased connectivity of the region with the rest of the world through better roads, this area is in danger of being modified and fragmented to a point where ecosystem services begin to fail. We recommend demarcating a protected area in the region that considers the diversity of associated habitats and the importance of the ecological portal joining two diverse river basins.