Georgia Aquarium is celebrating 20 years of scientific collaboration with Georgia Tech, a partnership that has changed how researchers study marine life and monitor endangered species in both controlled and wild environments. The alliance blends conservation, academic rigor, and technological innovation.
Millions of visitors have seen the Aquarium’s exhibits, yet the bigger story is happening behind the scenes — where scientists and engineers are uncovering new information about ocean ecosystems and the animals that inhabit them.
Whale Sharks, Curiosity, and Student-Led Discovery
When Georgia Aquarium first opened, most visitors in the Western Hemisphere had never seen a whale shark in person. That kind of encounter can leave a lasting impression.
Cameron Perry, a Georgia Tech graduate and current Aquarium research scientist, remembers standing in front of the massive viewing window and feeling a spark. His interest led him to pursue a doctorate in Tech’s Ocean Science and Engineering program.
A collaboration between his academic program and the Aquarium offered field access that is rare for graduate students. Perry traveled to St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, where he and a team deployed satellite trackers to study whale shark migration and mating patterns in real time. Their data helped regional officials strengthen protection measures for adult whale sharks and younger populations.
Seeing the animals up close changed Perry’s perspective. He noticed how moments of observation can lead to empathy and push students or young researchers into marine science careers.
He later returned to the Aquarium as a full-time scientist, now overseeing whale shark and manta ray initiatives. Perry says he tries to give students the same inspiration he once received — a place where curiosity feels safe and science feels exciting.
Expanding Conservation Through Technology
More than 15 projects between Georgia Tech and the Aquarium have focused on animal health, environmental monitoring, and conservation strategy. The work is often quiet, but the impact reaches far outside the Aquarium walls.
Both institutions say their partnership succeeds because they share a core goal — protecting wildlife and better understanding how marine organisms interact with their environment. Perry argues that better monitoring leads to smarter problem-solving, whether inside the facility or in open waters.
In 2020, just before the Aquarium opened its Sharks! Predators of the Deep exhibit, Perry collected data on the transition of one habitat from freshwater to saltwater. His team looked at water chemistry, filtration design, and the relationship between population density and behavioral changes. The results are shaping future habitat planning across aquariums around the world.
A quick sentence:
Small measurements can lead to better welfare for entire species.
Recent initiatives highlight how Georgia Tech continues helping researchers record, analyze, and model wildlife behavior in new ways.
Machine Learning Inside the Tanks
Emily Keaton, a second-year Ph.D. student in biology at Georgia Tech, spent three years working as a dive master at Georgia Aquarium. After returning to research, she joined Patrick McGrath’s lab to explore machine learning tools that improve behavioral monitoring underwater.
The approach is simple at first glance — install cameras throughout Ocean Voyager, the Aquarium’s largest exhibit, and record activity from more than 50 species. Then the real work begins. Machine learning models sort patterns, identify movements, and build a baseline of normal animal behavior.
Teams can then ask deeper questions about how environment, feeding patterns, crowding, or stress influence behavioral changes. The technology allows researchers to study subtle shifts that may not be visible to human observers. They can review thousands of hours of footage without exhausting staff or missing details.
Machine learning can also support welfare decisions. Keaton’s group believes the data will help veterinarians predict stress or discomfort earlier, improving care during medical procedures or habitat changes.
Bullet point to highlight a key use:
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Behavioral datasets from continuous video can help predict shifts in activity, aggression, feeding, or schooling patterns, allowing faster intervention and better long-term care.
The initiative represents a fresh direction in conservation research, where digital tools allow scientists to monitor hard-to-study animals without interfering with their daily lives.
New Enrichment Devices for Sea Otters
Animal enrichment is a core part of marine welfare. Sea otters, for example, thrive when they can manipulate objects, forage for food, and engage with puzzles that mimic natural instincts.
Georgia Aquarium partnered with Georgia Tech’s Animal-Computer Interaction Lab to design enrichment devices embedded with motion sensors. These devices record how otters interact with puzzles, how quickly they learn new skills, and how their performance shifts over time.
One sentence alone:
Enrichment becomes measurable instead of anecdotal.
The devices allow researchers to evaluate learning curves and adaptability. They can study which activities hold otter attention longest, when animals become bored, or how enrichment changes based on age, personality, or habitat conditions.
This technology captures what human observers often miss — subtle patterns in motion, timing, and problem-solving behavior. The result could refine enrichment programs and improve welfare across aquariums.
A short paragraph:
More data means smarter care.
Ongoing Work and Future Possibilities
Georgia Tech and Georgia Aquarium plan to continue expanding their partnership, exploring projects that use sensors, automation, acoustics, and remote monitoring. Both institutions believe the next decade will bring even more collaboration, especially as environmental challenges intensify and species face heightened risks.
Researchers say conservation depends on a blend of human expertise, empathy, and reliable data. Field expeditions, lab studies, machine learning, and animal enrichment all feed into the same scientific ecosystem.
Inside the Aquarium, visitors often see beauty and wonder. Behind the scenes, engineers and biologists are recording movement, mapping genomes, programming sensors, and studying how animals respond to stress or enrichment. The public rarely notices the technology, but it shapes care every day.
Georgia Tech’s involvement has transformed how animal behavior is measured. It has also helped younger scientists build careers grounded in conservation. Students who once volunteered as divers or interns now lead research teams, publish findings, and guide habitat development.
Many experts believe education is central to long-term conservation. If children see a manta ray glide overhead or watch an otter open a mussel, they might carry that memory into adulthood, shaping their views on ocean health.
