Much of the research efforts link to conservation, as the information allows us to educate anglers, determine population comparisons and preserve groundfish spawning in certain reefs. The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre has rescued and rehabilitated marine mammals for nearly 40 years. The Rescue and Rehabilitation Program is run by the Aquarium in cooperation with the B.C. S.P.C.A. Staff and Volunteers care for marine mammals found injured, ill or abandoned, until they can be returned to their natural habitats. Researchers take blood and blubber samples to provide information about the health of the animals, thus providing an excellent resource for any future problems. Many of the problems stem from human development, such as factory pollutants, boat traffic and more.
Research provides keys to fixing damage created by people to wild populations of marine animals.
In terms of collecting whales from the wild, in 1996, the Aquarium promised not to catch, or cause to be caught, any whales or dolphins from the wild. Husbandry and veterinary research in breeding programs can help species that are facing extinction. Some species that are facing extinction must be bred in captive or semi-captive settings. For example, the Aquarium displays and raises loggerhead sea turtles as part of a release program. The Aquarium raises hatchlings for the first 1-2 years of their lives, then these older, less vulnerable sea turtles are introduced into the ocean near Hawaii.