ANTARCTIC STUDY TRIP (1999) - Research Overview

REPRODUCTIVE RESEARCH CENTER

PRIMARY RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Characterization of female and male reproductive physiology

•	Basic information on a species reproductive physiology is often incomplete or absent for many zoological species.
•	Successful development of AI and its application to population management requires extensive research into the basic reproductive physiology, anatomy and behavior of the species.
•	Information from our center's research into basic reproductive physiology is used to form a species-specific reproductive baseline database, which can be incorporated into health assessments for captive or free-ranging animals.

Artificial Insemination

•	In collaboration with national and international zoological institutions, our center is developing AI procedures to facilitate reproductive and genetic management of ex situ populations.
•	Our center has developed AI using fresh and frozen-thawed sperm in four species of marine mammals: killer whale, bottlenose dolphin, Pacific white-sided dolphin and beluga.
•	We collaborate with numerous organizations to optimize AI procedures in terrestrial wildlife such as elephants and rhinoceroses.

Sex pre-selection using Sperm Sorting

The center's state-of-the-art flow cytometers for wildlife sperm sorting research and application.

•	Our center is the only organization in the world with a sperm sorting facility dedicated to the development of sex pre-selection technology in marine and terrestrial wildlife, to aid in their social, reproductive and genetic management.
•	Sex pre-selection, using sperm sorting and AI or IVF, is of particular significance to species which naturally exist in female-dominated social groups, such as the African and Asian elephant. A bias of the sex ratio towards females will greatly assist in maintaining socially cohesive groups and minimizing male-male aggression.
•	Sex pre-selection is also beneficial to the management of endangered species, as the preferential production of females can enable propagation of those species at a faster rate.
•	We collaborate with numerous zoological institutions to advance the development of sperm sorting procedures for marine and terrestrial species including dolphins, killer whales, elephants, rhinoceroses and gorillas.
•	Our research has lead to the implementation of sperm sorting and AI as a successful captive management tool for the bottlenose dolphin, with nine female calves born to date.

Sperm Collection and Preservation

•	Species-specific development of sperm collection and preservation methods, across marine and terrestrial wildlife, are another focus of our center.
•	Cryopreservation research is conducted with epididymal and ejaculated spermatozoa, toward the establishment of effective genome storage banks.
•	Our sperm cryopreservation research utilizes conventional freezing methods, as well as a novel directional freezing method (directional solidification), which enables fine control of sample cooling and freezing rates.