SEEING IS BELIEVING
Lake Sturgeon and the Power of Public Engagement
CHRISTINE BRESNAHAN
At the Seneca Park Zoo, the excitement of the spectacle—a way of looking at animals traditionally associated with the zoo as a social institution—is being redeployed to direct attention to local conservation. Visitor fascination with the distinct, strange-looking lake sturgeon is helping to foster public awareness, promote environmental education, and support local species recovery efforts. This shift reflects the broader evolution of zoo spaces from exoticized displays with the intention for entertainment to landscapes curated to mimic native habitats that will facilitate conservation.1 While zoos like Seneca Park Zoo have reformed their missions to improve animal care and tend to the environment, they continue to operate within an enduring framework of spectacular exhibition.
FROM SPECTACLE TO STEWARDSHIP
Founded in the late 1800s, the Seneca Park Zoo initially showcased native species like deer and trout in simple enclosures, emphasizing their visual appeal more than their ecological significance. The renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead had envisioned what was then called Seneca Park West as a place of leisure for Rochester’s urban residents.2 Over time, the zoo expanded to house exotic animals, including lions, monkeys, and elephants, and so aligned with national trends in animal collections that prioritized novelty.
It was not until 1979 that the Seneca Park Zoo sought and attained accreditation from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), a designation that sets standards for animal welfare, conservation involvement, and public education. This process is rigorous, and the award is a high honor for zoos as it involves proof of organized management, future goals for the institution, and specific guidelines for animal enclosures, food, and care.3 As the dominant animal welfare organization in the United States, the AZA promotes their standards as “constantly evolving” and “continuously being raised.”4 Still, change has proven to take time. Only in 2008 was the zoo’s slogan changed from “The Wonder of Life Everyday” to “The Natural Place for Families”—a shift that signals a conscious effort to reframe the zoo as a site of environmental responsibility rather than pure entertainment.
STAGING CONSERVATION
The Lake Sturgeon Restoration Project exemplifies the use of animal displays as a special success story for conservationists; it demonstrates the repopulation of native species and the collaboration of public and private organizations (Figure One). Support and research for this project was a partnership between the zoo and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), and the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).5 This sturgeon project showcases how the Seneca Park Zoo uses the exhibition of animals to promote the recovery of a local, historically important species.
FIGURE ONE
Lake sturgeon exhibition
(Christine Bresnahan, 2025)
[I] THE PHYSICAL EXHIBITION OF THE LAKE STURGEON
Located within the herpetology building, the Lake Sturgeon exhibit is part of the “Creatures from the River’s Edge” collection. Juvenile sturgeons are housed in a medium tank no bigger than an intermediate at-home aquarium. The tank’s clean, well-lit design emphasizes the prehistoric, armored look of the fish.
When I visited the zoo in the spring of 2025, I spoke with Gina, a Herpetology and Aquatics zookeeper, to find out how the lake sturgeon project is currently operating as well as to observe visitor engagement with the exhibit. The keeper stressed that their lake sturgeon program involves housing juveniles before releasing them into the Genesee River, thus directly tying the exhibit to active, local species recovery.
Gina also talked about the sturgeon in the context of their natural life. While it seems a little hard to picture that this tank mimics their natural habitat, she mentioned that their natural habitat can be found in relatively clean lakes and rivers and added that the rocks mimicked the type found in Rochester’s watershed. A nearby educational plaque offered a detailed historical timeline, tracing the species’ local decline due to pollution and overfishing, and highlighting the interdisciplinary work to bring them back.
The setting demonstrates the historian Elizabeth Hanson’s observation that modern zoos are no longer simply collections of curiosities; they are, instead, structured landscapes with animals that have their own species and individual stories. Despite this shift, the spatial layout of the exhibit still draws heavily on older traditions of spectacle.6 As Braverman argues, zoos maintain visual control over how animals are seen, often isolating them in spaces that highlight their “otherness” or exotic qualities and favoring visibility.7 The clear tank, the bright lighting, and the singular focus on the sturgeon encourage visitors to view the animal as a contained object, even as the zoo promotes conservation. The physical design of the exhibit tells one narrative but, through critical analysis, uses another. A forward-facing conservation mission is layered over enduring visual structures that frame the animal for human entertainment and curiosity. Hanson’s analysis of zoo landscapes as interpretive spaces similarly highlights how exhibits like these must balance education with entertainment to succeed.
[II] EXPERT VOICES AND INSTITUTIONAL MESSAGING
The keeper, Gina, explained that she had only been with the Seneca Park Zoo for a few years now but that she knew this project was really important to the organization. It remains unclear from this visit if any part of the sturgeon breeding and captivity procedure requires the juveniles to adjust or causes them to be at a disadvantage as compared to wild sturgeon when they are eventually released into the waterways. I learned that their breeding program works on an annual cycle with natural time frames and that the two fish in the tank were selected from the larger pool of fish bred and given names. She spoke about how the zoo is an integral part of a larger conservation infrastructure with breeding programs which are reinforced by her dual role as a county employee and AZA representative.
Gina also explained that alongside informal keeper interactions, the Seneca Park Zoo hosts regular “keeper chats” during high-visitation periods where zookeepers discuss natural histories, care routines, and conservation projects like the Lake Sturgeon release effort. These programs reflect the institutional pressures of AZA accreditation, which demands consistent public education as a pillar of modern zoos. These practices are just some public-facing examples of the zoo’s evolving identity as institutions of science and stewardship, not just entertainment.8
[III] AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT AND THE LIMITS OF SPECTACLE
When I visited the zoo, I saw a small group of visitors captivated by the otters to the left of the room (Figure Two). The large glass wall allows an inside look at what it’s like to live like a North American River otter—a look where visitors get an underwater view of the aquatic space. I, too, found the fast and playful display of the otter’s behavior engaging. The otter exhibit also demonstrated strategies of immersion with the nearly floor-to-ceiling glass that allows visitors an intimate view of the otters underwater where they perform natural play and feeding activities. They also paused at the sturgeon tank, commenting that the fish looked “weird” and “cool.”
FIGURE TWO
River otter exhibit
(Christine Bresnahan, 2025)
While brief, their attention suggests that the sturgeon’s unique look can function as a hook. The keeper’s description of the sturgeon as looking “like dinosaurs” points to a more common and exciting animal form as spectacle (prehistoric awe) and redirects it toward modern conservation. Hanson’s work reminds us that even conservation-oriented exhibits are still curated experiences, and their success or failure is determined by marketing of the individual’s niche and innate likability that the general public has for charismatic megafauna.
[IV] SITUATIONAL OBSERVATIONS AND THE ROLE OF CONTEXT
Because my visit was midday on a Monday, foot traffic was light, so I spent much of the time speaking with Gina. My own presence likely influenced the depth of Gina’s response, as I signaled a clear interest in conservation education. Visitors bring their own expectations to zoo spaces, and my question positioned me less as a casual observer and more as a participant in the zoo’s educational mission. The setting, timing, and audience all shape how the conservation narrative is delivered and received. During peak hours, when zoo attendance is higher and more family-oriented, it is likely that conservation messaging is modified to be more emotional or simplified to better fit the needs of younger or more diverse audiences. This dynamic space balances competing demands for education, entertainment, and ethical responsibility at any given moment.9
TRADITION AND TRANSFORMATION
The Lake Sturgeon exhibit at the Seneca Park Zoo shows just how complicated zoos are today. On the one hand, this zoo has made real progress in weaving conservation into their work on- and off-site. Their partnerships with organizations like the USGS, NYSDEC, and USFWS, and the work they put into local species projects like the Lake Sturgeon Restoration, do make a difference for wildlife as demonstrated by the successful resurgence and steady increase in their population.
The Seneca Park Zoo’s focus is not just on the sturgeon; they are also involved in efforts for native turtles, pollinators, and water quality improvements in local waterways. Conservation is not just a side project; it is clearly a growing part of what they want to be known for.
But at the same time, the traditional model of the zoo, which is to go and see animals up close, still shapes almost everything about the experience. The exhibits are still designed to catch the eye and spark emotional reactions. Zoos harness the visual appeal of animals to capture public attention—a practice that, despite reforms, often leaves deeper ethical questions of captivity unchallenged.10
This shift at the Seneca Park Zoo reflects a broader transformation happening in zoos across the country: a move from spectacle to stewardship. An institution like the Seneca Park Zoo embraces conservation and education more deeply. While individual animals are still used for show, both native and threatened species benefit from the research-driven care and public awareness campaigns that AZA-accredited zoos provide. While traditional zoo structures are still present, the growing emphasis on ecological responsibility points to an optimistic future vision of zoos where animals are not just viewed for pleasure but are active participants in saving their own species and restoring biodiversity.
NOTES
1. Hanson, Elizabeth, “Animals in the Landscape,” in Animal Attractions: Nature on Display in American Zoos (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2002).
2. Whalen, Maureen. A History of Seneca Park Zoo. Rochester, NY, 2020.
3. 237. Association of Zoos & Aquariums | AZA.org. (n.d.). https://www.aza.org/.
4. Aza Programs. Seneca Park Zoo. (2023, January 4). https://senecaparkzoo.org/aza-programs/.
5. “Lake Sturgeon Restoration in the Genesee River – a Success Story of Science Saving Species.” Seneca Park Zoo, October 14, 2022. https://senecaparkzoo.org/sturgeon/.
6. Hanson, “Animals in the Landscape”, 2002.
7. Braverman, I. (2011). Looking at zoos. Cultural Studies, 25(6), 809–842, 825. https://doi.org/10.1080/09502386.2011.578250.
8. Hanson, “Animals in the Landscape”, 2002.
9. Ibid.
10. Braverman, “Looking at Zoos.”