Physiological Data Reference Values Project

Conventional USA units book | Standard International units book

INTERNATIONAL SPECIES
INFORMATION SYSTEM

ISIS is an international non-profit membership organization (U.S. 501c3) which serves nearly 550 zoological institutional members, from 54 countries, worldwide. This is an unprecedented level of global cooperation by mostly city-based facilities, presently including about half of the world's "recognized" zoos and aquariums. ISIS supports conservation and preservation of species, by helping member facilities manage their living collections. ISIS provides PC software for sound specimen records keeping and scientific conservation-oriented collection management, and then pools this information across the whole network. Information is available on 286,000 living specimens of 7,500 species, along with an additional 1,413,000 of their ancestors. Most of these specimens were bred in member facilities. Our graphic is Pharaonic Egyptian, showing Isis, a goddess associated with fertility. ISIS cooperates closely with many national and regional associations of zoos and aquaria, and hosts the Secretariat of - The World Zoo Organization.

Zoological gardens and other ex-situ breeding institutions share the awesome responsibility of helping to prevent the rapid extinction of wildlife species on Planet Earth. At least fourteen species which have gone extinct in the wild, have already been saved through such "captive" breeding. Some of these species have already been successfully restored back to the wild (European bison, Arabian oryx), others are in the early years of restoration (Black-footed ferret, California condor, Mongolian wild horse), while still others await improving conditions in what remains of their natural habitat. In addition, an increasing number of zoological institutions now provide direct support to important wild habitats, worldwide.

The primary role of zoos and aquariums, as local cultural institutions, remains that of increasing public interest, affection, and knowledge about wildlife. To sustain this role, the living collection of often irreplaceable wildlife species in these facilities must be managed for future generations. Properly managed, these ex-situ populations serve as both an important public resource and as a kind of "conservation insurance" against extinction of these species in the wild.