Marine veterinary workshop at Mississippi Aquarium highlights growing importance of aquatic medicine and conservation

A marine veterinary workshop hosted at the Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport has received praise for its innovative blend of clinical training, marine conservation, and the One Health approach, emphasising the expanding role of aquatic medicine in cross-disciplinary veterinary education.

A marine veterinary workshop hosted at the Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport has drawn praise for combining clinical training, conservation and the One Health approach in a setting that organisers say is especially well suited to aquatic medicine.

According to an essay published by Mississippi Today Ideas, the MARVET team returned to the aquarium for a second consecutive summer, bringing together students and instructors from institutions in the United States, Brazil, Grenada and the United Kingdom. The workshop, which has been running since 1999 and typically holds two international sessions a year, is designed to introduce veterinarians and students to aquatic medicine while stressing the links between human, animal and environmental health.

Christine A. Curry, co-founder of MARVET, said the Gulfport site offered an unusually effective learning environment because of its watershed connection to the Gulf and its proximity to other marine facilities. She also credited Dr Alexa Delaune, the aquarium’s vice-president of veterinary care, and her team for leading lectures and practical sessions.

One of the most striking moments, Curry wrote, was watching the release of two rehabilitated sea turtles back into the wild after treatment by the aquarium’s veterinary staff. The experience, she said, reflected the institution’s broader commitment to marine conservation.

For clinicians with an interest in aquatic species, the workshop also underlines the growing importance of hands-on, cross-disciplinary training in marine medicine. MARVET has already signalled plans to return to the Mississippi Aquarium in 2027.

Image Source: Marvet