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In this episode, Madeline and Erin sit down with Aquarists Jackie Simpson and Emily Smith to explore one of the most fascinating and underappreciated parts of animal care at the Aquarium of the Pacific: target training. You might picture sea lions doing flips or birds following a hand signal, but target training reaches far deeper into the aquarium than most guests ever realize. From zebra sharks to tiny puffers, every animal at the Aquarium engages with its environment in ways shaped by the people who care for them.

In this episode:

• What target training actually is and why it matters for animal health and welfare
• How fish and invertebrates are trained differently from marine mammals and birds
• The story of Nandor the zebra shark, who figured out target training all on his own
• How Fern the zebra shark swims herself into the husbandry pool on cue
• The octopus who learned to sit on the edge of the basket instead of climbing in
• Freddie the Queensland grouper and how his target moved from the surface to a diver's chest
• What it looks like to target train archerfish using their own natural behavior
• Why sharks are actually pretty timid animals and what would really happen if you fell in the tank
• How Jackie and Emily found their way to the Aquarium of the Pacific and what they'd tell aspiring aquarists

Get involved:

Support the Aquarium of the Pacific, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, at pacific.to/donate. Your membership and donations make care like this possible every single day.

Episode resources:

• Transcript
• Michael the parrotfish enjoying his favorite snack, cilantro
• Learn more about animal care at the Aquarium of the Pacific

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Thanks for listening!