Annual Zebrafish Husbandry Workshop USA: A Resource for All Zebrafish Users.

Understandably, in the early years of the growth of the zebrafish model, husbandry parameters varied widely from laboratory to laboratory. But with the explosion in the number of investigators opting to utilize zebrafish in their research, the standardization of husbandry parameters is not only practical but also absolutely critical to ensure the reliability and reproducibility of experimental results. For more than 13 years, technicians, veterinarians, laboratory managers, regulatory officers, and investigators have joined together for an annual workshop on zebrafish husbandry. The meeting is held in conjunction with the World Aquaculture Society's annual conference, a congeries of fish experts and aquatic species enthusiasts. From a lineup of five speakers and perhaps 25 attendees, the workshop has grown to a one and a half day event with more than 20 speakers and ∼90 attendees.

Regulatory compliance and the zebrafish.

The growth of the zebrafish as a model organism has so far greatly outpaced regulatory oversight governing its care and use in research. However, the same levels of regulation that characterize the use of traditional mammalian model animals will likely be extended to zebrafish, especially as use of the animal continues to increase. The challenge for both the zebrafish research community and regulatory agents is to ensure that emerging guidelines are sensible and serve to promote quality science and the highest standards of animal care. This brief review summarizes a panel discussion that was convened on this subject at the World Aquaculture Society's Aquaculture America 2009 Conference in Seattle, Washington. The current regulatory environment in the United States is discussed, and a set of generalized recommendations for developing new guidelines is presented.