Research and conservation are two goals of modern zoos and aquariums, and are a very important part of the mission of Zoo Atlanta. Our research includes behavioral and ecological studies of both the animals here at the zoo and species living in the wild. One of the goals of our research on zoo grounds is to better understand the behavior of the animals, as many species, such as pandas and western lowland gorillas, are very difficult to study in the wild. We conduct studies to learn more about topics like maternal and reproductive behavior, social behavior, and intelligence. A second goal of our research is to improve the lives of animals in captvity. Studies in this area focus on trying to evaluate how changes in the management of our animals (e.g. who they live with, how they are fed, what enrichment they receive) affect the behavior of the animals.

Our studies outside of the zoo are directly focused on conservation of wild populations of animals and their habitats. We have three primary areas of focus: giant pandas, gorillas and herps, specifically frogs and turtles.We work with a number of partners, including The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, The State Forestry Administration for the People's Republic of China, The Chengdu Zoo, The Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens, and many American zoos.

Not all of our research focuses on animals. We are also very interested in learning about how zoo experiences affect people's knowledge of and attitudes towards animals. Although most of these studies take place at Zoo Atlanta, we are doing some work in the home countries of some of our animals. For example, Zoo Atlanta's Academy for Conservation Training examines people's perception of wildlife in China in order to help Chinese zoos develop effective conservation education programs.

Research opportunities
Scientists or students interested in conducting research at the zoo should submit a CV and proposal for the zoo’s scientific review team. The proposal should be no longer than 4 single-spaced pages and should provide a rational for the study as well as a detailed methodology and references. Proposals should be sent to Dr. Dwight Lawson at dlawson@zooatlanta.org. Notification will occur within 4-6 weeks of submission. Accepted projects will be expected to provide the zoo with a single paragraph, non-scientific description of the research that can be shared with zoo staff, visitors, media and docents. Additionally, Zoo Atlanta should be acknowledged in any presentations/publications resulting from the work and provided reprints of any published work.