Keynote (30 minutes) Australian Marine Sciences Association Annual Meeting 2023

KEYNOTE: Sea Jellies Illuminated: A synergistic partnership between Sea World and Griffith University that is advancing sea jellies research and public engagement in science (#114)

Kylie Pitt 1 , Pablo Diaz 2 , Wayne Phillips 3
  1. Coastal and Marine Research Centre, Griffith University, QLD, Australia
  2. Sea Jellies Illuminated, Sea World, Main Beach, QLD, Australia
  3. Sea World, Main Beach, Queensland, Australia

In 2018, Griffith University partnered with Sea World to develop ‘Sea Jellies Illuminated’, a combined jellyfish exhibit and state-of-the-art jellyfish research laboratory located within the Sea World theme park.  The glass walls of the laboratory enable the ~1.5 million people who visit Sea World each year to watch research being done.  Our partnership delivers mutual benefits.  Griffith University benefits from access to world-class facilities, prominent exposure of the Griffith brand and the opportunity to engage the public in science.  Partnering with Griffith University provides Sea World with credibility for the research it supports, access to a broader audience to share messages of conservation, and ready access to scientific expertise.  The partnership between Griffith University and Sea World is a fantastic example of the synergies that can exist between universities and zoos and aquaria.