Dissertation information wanted! please help!

[corinne]

Hi everyone
My name is Corinne and i am a student in England studying for my final year of an Honors Degree in Animal Behaviour and Training.
As part of this year i am required to complete a dissertation,
I am wanting to carry out enrichment for a GPO that i have access to at work, using feed trials
if anyone has or knows of any good trails and/or papers that they could inform me of it would be greatly appreciated!
thank very much
Corinne
xxx

 

[Nancy]

Hi and welcome to TONMO.com!

Contact the Seattle Aquarium in the State of Washington. They keep a lot of GPOs and I know they have an enrichment program. I believe they're the ones who give their GPOs on display a different dog toy each day! At any rate, they might be able to help you.

Nancy

 

[Scouse]

Hello Corinne,

Is the GPO at a public aquarium by any chance??

Ive been wantin to see one for moons, someone told me there was one at London Aquarium but then another told me there wasnt so I cancelled my visit

Nice one

 

[Andy Lister]

Hi, where are you studying at? I graduated from HUll last year in Marine Biology... did whelk's penis study for dissertation.

If you live anywhere near me I could try and get you into my place of work so you can see some of the things we are doing with our GPO Madge.

I'm sure that I can find some papers that I used to use, a lot of the stuff is written pn O. bimaculodies but can easily be transferred!

Good luck with the dissertation, I remember doing mine and you will love it, honestly!

~Andy

 

[Scouse]

p.s. ....how rude

 

[Andy Lister]

Not many places in the Uk display GPOs sue to the size of tank they need Scouse!

Newquay usually have one but not too sure at the moment, Brighton Sea Life Centre (part of the company I work for) do definatly have one so maybe take a trip down there??

~A

 

[Nancy]

Andy, what are the things you're doing with your GPO, Madge?

Nancy

 

[Colin]

Blackpool sea life centre did have one a couple of years back...

 

[Scouse]

Cheers Andy and Colin,

Whey hey the missus just bought a new car and is eager to get out of London for a few spins...ha haaa she wont know what hit her!!!!

Newquay....hmmm an excuse we've been lookin for to swing into Monkey World aswell excellent!!!

 

[corinne]

sorry i have not replied to any one sooner but i've not been able to get to college for the internet as i managed to pop my knee cap out! ooch!
i have the chance to study a new GPO where i work (at The Deep) but it won't go on display until march when the extension is completed.
the GPO's display tank is not completed yet so i wanted to provide things to keep it occupied,
idealy i would like to compare natural v's man made toys eg live food to placing food in a shape fit toy etc
i want to compare the interaction times and state what its doing with the item, eg play, holding, ignoring etc
the only possible problem is that work want to only use natural types of enrichment when its on display so i dont want to get it used to toys then not allow them when its on display
im studying at Bishop Burton College

 

[Andy Lister]

I know Bishop Burton college! I spent 3 years in Scarborough.

The majority of the enrichment practices we use are feeding based, putting crabs into things (anything you can fit them in pretty much) and seeing what happens, trying this for a week and seeing if the time to feed decreases. We're not really researching anything with our GPO at the moment but just giving her things to play with.

Why can't you use man made enrichment on displays?? They are much more effective from what i've seen and you can use them for PR stories, people relate to crabs opening jam jars.

We did used to use burried prawns, shrimps and bits of fish for our wunderpuss and it would dig them up... that worked quite well!

~A

 

[Jean]

sorry i have not replied to any one sooner but i've not been able to get to college for the internet as i managed to pop my knee cap out! ooch!

Hope the knee is feeling better....sympathies!

You could also try Mark Rehling at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (in Cleveland!!!!!!) He has been putting together an octopus enrichment notebook for a couple of years now. It's pretty interesting and comprises info from a whole lot of places (including here) They have a website but if you can't get in touch through it, pm me and I'll send you Marks email address.

Cheers

Jean

 

[Jean]

Why can't you use man made enrichment on displays?? They are much more effective from what i've seen and you can use them for PR stories, people relate to crabs opening jam jars.


~A

We don't either, primarily because we release to the wild and crabs don't come in jars!!!!! (plus our Boss likes the "natural look!!") We feed live food and play with them (the octis not the food!) also we change the environment a lot, add in and remove things like mussel lines, rocks seaweed etc etc

Cheers

J

 

[corinne]

hi,
the curator likes the idea of the natural look as the enclosure is designed to look like a cave, there is a light in the back corner to represent the entrance to the cave and visitors look in from the back of the cave.

im having a meeting with my suporvisor and auqarists at work later on in the week, im going to try and convince them to use artificial objects to feed with but if not then ill have to think again

cheers jean but i have mark rehilings email already as i was corrosponding with him for my last project

corinne
x

 

[Jean]

cheers jean but i have mark rehilings email already as i was corrosponding with him for my last project

corinne
x

That's OK, What was your last project??????

J