Actividades: Entrenamiento de animales acuáticos.

A Ph.D. Class on Research Training of Aquatic Animals

Many branches of biological research relies on trained animals under human care. Animal training thus fulfills a very important role in biological research, and appropriate training methodologies are crucial for obtaining and adequately interpreting data.

This class is inteded for graduate students and trainers specializing in research training of aquatic animals. The first part of the class contains lectures and practical trials on basic training paradigms, such as classical conditioning and positive reinforcement. The second part deals with special training techniques for marine mammal and fish training.

The students are exposed to lectures by some of the foremost experts in the world on animal training, as well as on very highly esteemed scientists whose research methods involve animal training. Lectures are combined with practical trials where the students train and try out various training methods under the supervision of the teachers.

When: Monday 2nd to Wednesday 11th of June, 2008.

Where: Fjord&B?lt, Kerteminde, Denmark.

Funded by: The Nordic Marine Academy from the Nordic Research Council, and the Research Graduate School SNAK, University of Southern Denmark.

Organized by: Magnus Wahlberg, Fjord&B?lt and University of Southern Denmark .

Workload: 5 ECTS

Maximum number of students: 24

Fee: Students from Nordic countries free of charge including room and board, students outside this region will be charged 3.000 DKK for participation, including room and board.

Applications consisting of a maximum 1-page letter motivating why you want to be enrolled in this class, and a maximium 1-page C.V., should be emailed or posted to:
Magnus Wahlberg,
Fjord&B?lt,
Margrethes Plads 1,
DK-5300 Kerteminde, Denmark,
magnus@fjord-baelt.dk or magnus.wahlberg@biology.au.dk no later than 1st of March, 2008.

Successful candidates will be notified by 15th of March, 2008.

Teachers:
Bj?rn Mauck (BM), Ph.D. and Professor, University of Southern Denmark
Colleen Reichmuth (CR), Ph. D. and Associate Professor, Long Marine Lab, Santa Cruz, USA
Ken Ramirez (KR), vice president, John G Shedd Aquarium, USA
Kirsten Andersen (KA), animal curator, Odense Zoo, Denmark
Mats Amundin (MA), Ph.D., chief Biologist, Kolm?rden, Sweden
Marie-Anne Blanchet (MAB), M.Sc., senior trainer, Fjord&B?lt, Denmark
Marlee Breese (MB), senior trainer, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, USA
Paul Nacthigall (PN), Professor, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, USA
Richard Fay (RF), Professor, Parmly Sensory Sciences Institute, USA Schedule (still subject to major changes)

Students share rooms in hostel, where breakfast is served. Lunch and dinner is served on at the marine station.

Monday 2nd of June
9-10
MW -Welcome and general introduction
10-12
KR - Introduction to Training & Basic Conditioning
14-15
MB - Chicken Training Intro
15-17
KR - Basic Operant Conditioning Continued
20-21
MW - Tour around Fjord&B?lt

Tuesday 3rd of June
9-10
KR - Non-Formal interactions
10-11
MB - Chicken Training
11-12
KR - Cooperative Behavior Introduction
14-15
MB - Chicken Training
15-16
KR - Husbandry Training
16-17
MB - Chicken Training
20-21
Bertel M?hl and S?ren Andersen: Origins of research training of marine mammals in Denmark

Wednesday 4th of June
9-11
KR - Advanced Operant Conditioning
11-12
MB- Chicken Training
14-16
KR - Advanced Operant Conditioning Continued
16-17
MB - Chicken Training
20-21
KA + MB: Harbour porpoise training at F&B

Thursday 5th of June
9-10
MB - Chicken Training
10-12
KR - Problem Solving
14-15
MB - Chicken Training
15-16
KR - Aggression
16-17
MB - Chicken Training

Friday 6th of June
9-10
MB - Chicken Training
10-12
KR - Research Training (tied to previous lectures)
14-16
RF - Research Training
16-17
MB - Chicken Training

Saturday 7th of June
9-12
RF - Training fish for psychophysical studies
14-18
KA - Tour to Odense Zoo 20- Dining at Skovbakken, Odense

Sunday 8th of June
9-10
MB + PN - Research training of dolphins
10-11
PN - Food deprivation and other controversial techniques
11-12
PN - Trainer and scientists team work, a historical perspective of do's and don'ts
14-17
MB - Chicken trainining
BM + MAB + MB: Harbour porpoise and harbour seal training demo
20-21
MAB + Kristian Beedholm: Porpoise hearing studies at F&B using ABR

Monday 9th of June
9-12
CR + BM - Research training of seals
14-16
Desensitization in marine mammal training
16-18
Training projects wrap-up
20-21
MA - Training Cetaceans for sound production studies

Tuesday 10th of June
Group evaluations including video observations of training sessions

Wednesday 11th of June
9-11
Sum-up discussion around training projects
11-12
MW + KA - Where do we go from here: a Nordic network on research training 1
2-13
Class evaluation and farewell

* No os asustéis por que ponga Chicken training, obviamente no se refiere a entrenamiento de pollos, es una terminología usada en el mundo del entrenemiento de animales en general!