The Art of Aquarium Keeping Communicates Science and Conservation
In technology-driven societies, scientists, and educators alike flounder in making science interesting and applicable. Communicating science, defined as communicating scientific facts as well as teaching and using the scientific process, can also be done informally though leisure activities. In this...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Communication |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fcomm.2018.00017/full |
| _version_ | 1819266543219900416 |
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| author | Elizabeth A. Marchio |
| author_facet | Elizabeth A. Marchio |
| author_sort | Elizabeth A. Marchio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In technology-driven societies, scientists, and educators alike flounder in making science interesting and applicable. Communicating science, defined as communicating scientific facts as well as teaching and using the scientific process, can also be done informally though leisure activities. In this qualitative study, I examined the leisure activity of aquarium keeping and its ability to communicate relative aquatic facts and processes. This study examined aquarium keepers across the United States via interviews, participant observation, and an ongoing analysis of aquarium hobby literature. Thus, this study indicates (1) caring for a home aquarium communicates science latently, (2) over time, latent science communication becomes activated, and (3) long-term aquarium keeping leads to a personal response in science, as well as conservation. In addition, artistic expression and innovation intersect with scientific knowledge and application to create beautiful, biodiverse, ecosystems. Through the process of successfully maintaining an aquarium, continued participation leads to a proficiency in applicable scientific facts, a better understanding of scientific processes, and an improved conservation ethic for aquatic resources. Further, this intersectionality motivates participation by providing new challenges and various forms of satisfaction. The human dimensions of the aquarium hobby and the values of aquarists are important to understand for many purposes, most notably because it encompasses an enormous sample of the American population and is extremely lucrative to those along most of the supply chain. Aquarium keeping is not only a hobby, but because of the relationship between science and art, it can communicate, as well as spark conservation efforts in serious aquarists. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T21:02:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7903cebbe1364d3cbfa68559744ae7df |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2297-900X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T21:02:56Z |
| publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Communication |
| spelling | doaj.art-7903cebbe1364d3cbfa68559744ae7df2022-12-21T17:31:18ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Communication2297-900X2018-04-01310.3389/fcomm.2018.00017350020The Art of Aquarium Keeping Communicates Science and ConservationElizabeth A. MarchioIn technology-driven societies, scientists, and educators alike flounder in making science interesting and applicable. Communicating science, defined as communicating scientific facts as well as teaching and using the scientific process, can also be done informally though leisure activities. In this qualitative study, I examined the leisure activity of aquarium keeping and its ability to communicate relative aquatic facts and processes. This study examined aquarium keepers across the United States via interviews, participant observation, and an ongoing analysis of aquarium hobby literature. Thus, this study indicates (1) caring for a home aquarium communicates science latently, (2) over time, latent science communication becomes activated, and (3) long-term aquarium keeping leads to a personal response in science, as well as conservation. In addition, artistic expression and innovation intersect with scientific knowledge and application to create beautiful, biodiverse, ecosystems. Through the process of successfully maintaining an aquarium, continued participation leads to a proficiency in applicable scientific facts, a better understanding of scientific processes, and an improved conservation ethic for aquatic resources. Further, this intersectionality motivates participation by providing new challenges and various forms of satisfaction. The human dimensions of the aquarium hobby and the values of aquarists are important to understand for many purposes, most notably because it encompasses an enormous sample of the American population and is extremely lucrative to those along most of the supply chain. Aquarium keeping is not only a hobby, but because of the relationship between science and art, it can communicate, as well as spark conservation efforts in serious aquarists.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fcomm.2018.00017/fullartaquariumfishscience as leisurecaptive ecosystemscience |
| spellingShingle | Elizabeth A. Marchio The Art of Aquarium Keeping Communicates Science and Conservation Frontiers in Communication art aquarium fish science as leisure captive ecosystem science |
| title | The Art of Aquarium Keeping Communicates Science and Conservation |
| title_full | The Art of Aquarium Keeping Communicates Science and Conservation |
| title_fullStr | The Art of Aquarium Keeping Communicates Science and Conservation |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Art of Aquarium Keeping Communicates Science and Conservation |
| title_short | The Art of Aquarium Keeping Communicates Science and Conservation |
| title_sort | art of aquarium keeping communicates science and conservation |
| topic | art aquarium fish science as leisure captive ecosystem science |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fcomm.2018.00017/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elizabethamarchio theartofaquariumkeepingcommunicatesscienceandconservation AT elizabethamarchio artofaquariumkeepingcommunicatesscienceandconservation |