The AZA SAFE Shark and Ray Program began in 2015 and was one of the first AZA SAFE programs launched that year. Since the publication of its first program plan, the group has endeavored to leverage the expertise and resources of AZA accredited facilities and program partners in pursuit of the conservation of shark and ray populations worldwide. The program now supports and promotes several activities and initiatives across the globe. The AZA SAFE Sharks and Rays Handling App is one of those initiatives.
The goal of the App is to provide a resource for professionals who handle sharks and rays in situ and ex situ for conservation, management, public display and scientific study, and wish to plan and execute handling events with safety and animal welfare and wellbeing as priorities.
CREATION OF THE APP
The AZA SAFE Sharks and Rays Program identified the need for the creation of a tool to guide animal handlers in planning and execution of handling events as a goal since the Program’s inception. The Program’s steering committee established a working group composed of members of the zoo and public aquarium and field science communities to initiate creation of an app-based tool. In 2022, working group co-leads Hans Walters (WCS/New York Aquarium) and Beth Firchau (Conservation Coordination LLC) developed an initial framework for the app project, and identified initial topics and a thought path for the resource. An Association of Zoos and Aquarium Conservation Grant fund (AZA CGF) award funded a workshop in September 2022. In February 2023, the Georgia Aquarium hosted the workshop where the framework and process of the app were further fleshed out.
Figure 1. Handwritten schematic of the App’s initial decision trees.
At the workshop, attendees validated a framework of decision trees and added detail creating a library of associated topics to be drafted by working group members. The outcome of the workshop was a structured three-decision tree resource that guides users through planning and execution of elasmobranch handling events. The three decision trees would focus on event considerations related to the environment in which a handling event is to be executed, human safety, and animal safety and welfare. A catalogue of species-specific considerations would also be developed to provide users with complementary information unique to the species to be handled.
Working group drafters were charged with creating the supplemental narratives and species catalogue information in collaboration with both ex situ and in situ subject matter experts. They sought to compose information that would be relevant and based on the best available science and experience, leading to best practices approaches able to be applied in human care and field research scenarios.
Following initial drafting, the content was reviewed by the project’s co-leaders, and edited for flow, continuity and grammar. They created a list of video and still image content needs from the drafts. This visual content would be used to illustrate concepts and activities detailed in the information. Visual content was sourced from both ex situ and in situ teams with experience in planning and conducting efficient and safe elasmobranch handling events.
Following the initial information editing and integration of visual content, the package was shared with a select group of venerable and rising experts for feedback on content, flow, and accuracy. The feedback from these editors was shared with the original drafters for consideration and incorporation.
With the decision trees, detailed narratives, and the species catalogue vetted through several layers of editing, and content to provide visual support to the information in place, the program was converted to an application intended for use on smart devices such as phones, tablets and laptops. The Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Conservation Technology Division facilitated the app conversion, also funded by the AZA CGF grant. The WCS Media Services Division edited and credited all visual content at no charge as an in-kind donation for inclusion in the App.
The Handling App was shared with attendees to the AZA Annual Conference in Calgary, Canada as a beta-version for testing and feedback in September 2024. Feedback from that experience was incorporated into the App, with additional finetuning occurring in late 2024 and early 2025. Roll out of the initial version of the App was completed in early 2025.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The AZA SAFE Shark and Ray Handling App content is the culmination of decades of work performed in countless locations, engaging a wide variety of species, and performed by teams caring for and studying elasmobranchs in situ and ex situ. It is hoped this tool will elevate approaches to elasmobranch handling events, grow respect and awe of the species involved, and further a better understanding towards appropriate conservation management of elasmobranch species worldwide.
The AZA SAFE Shark and Ray Program wishes to acknowledge the following content drafters* and attendees to the 2023 App Development Workshop:
Windy Arey- Kent
Al Dove
Paula Carlson*
Emily Christiansen DVM*
Kevin Curlee*
Hap Fatzinger
Beth Firchau*(Group Lead/Editor)
Lisa Hoopes*
Rob Jones DVM*
Steve Kessel*
Kelly Link*
Allen McDowell*
Kelli McDowell*
Leah Neal
Linda Penfold
Hans Walters*(Group Lead/Editor)
Stacia White*
Frank Young*
The Program would like to acknowledge subject matter experts within the elasmobranch husbandry and field science/research community who provided input and guidance into the final content of the tool:
Nuria Baylina
Joe Choromanski
Bob George DVM
Natalie Mylniczenko DVM
Chris Schrieber
Mark Smith
Lise Watson
The Program would also like to acknowledge Steve Gallo and LiLing Choo from the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Conservation Technologies Division, and Katherine Gomero of WCS’s Media Services Division, for innovation and commitment that ensured this tool would be available to teams dedicated to elasmobranch conservation around the world.