The john g. Shedd aquarium will conduct research to address the complex and often opaque supply chains that make IT challenging for aquaria and zoos to feel confident that they are making…

The John G. Shedd Aquarium received a $906,444.00 Project Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the National Leadership Grants (CFDA 45.312) program to conduct research and develop a model for ethical sourcing of living collections for public aquaria and zoos. The project, conducted in partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Coral Reef Aquarium Fisheries Campaign, and Indonesian organizations LINI and RARE, will address the complex supply chains for aquarium and zoo specimens to ensure practices that conserve ecological well-being, support human well-being, and operate within robust governance. The resulting ethical sourcing model will be incorporated into the Shedd Aquarium's institutional collection plan and disseminated broadly to the public aquarium and zoo community to enable widespread adoption of ethical collection practices.

The john g. Shedd aquarium will conduct research to address the complex and often opaque supply chains that make IT challenging for aquaria and zoos to feel confident that they are making sustainable choices when acquiring living collections. In partnership with the association of zoos and aquariums, the coral reef aquarium fisheries campaign, and indonesian partners lini and rare, the project activities will address three pillars of ethical acquisitions: that IT conserves ecological well-being, supports human well-being, and operates within a robust paradigm of informed governance. Once developed, the model of ethical sourcing will be incorporated into the museum's institutional collection plan and presented and disseminated throughout the public aquarium and ZOO community. As a result, the model of ethical sourcing will be available for public aquaria and zoos around the world to replicate, scale, and include in collections plans igniting a culture shift toward ethical collecting that reach to the source.