Zoos are expected to play a role in environmental education. However, zoos have not been able to provide sufficient opportunities for experiential learning to the age groups from the upper grades of elementary school to university students, who rarely have the opportunity to visit a zoo. Zoos are required to carry out various recruiting and public relations activities to increase the opportunities of coming to a zoo for these age groups. This study aimed to collect basic information relevant to pursuing the potential of zoos as a site of environmental education for these age groups. A questionnaire survey targeting 479 vocational school students in the city of Fukuoka was administered. As a result, zoos were generally recognized as a place for recreation. In contrast, some students interested in animals considered zoos to be a place for learning, and it is necessary to increase their satisfaction with this purpose. To enhance the role of the zoo as a place of environmental education, it is necessary to devise exhibitions in which animals can be enjoyed and to satisfy the basic requirements of visitors who visit for various purposes. It will be possible to promote the environmental education role of zoos by encouraging and arousing interest in the age group and connecting them to learning.

福岡県津屋崎入江において、カブトガニを対象に航空写真の判読によって、戦後から現在に至るまでの生息地の変遷をたどり、住民からの聞き取り調査結果と繁殖ペアのモニタリング調査結果と照合しながら、カブトガニの減少要因の解明を行った。聞き取り調査では、津屋崎沿岸域には戦後から 1980年代にかけて多くのカブトガニが生息していたが、その数は徐々に減少し 2000年代初めには、ほとんど見られなくなった状況が把握できた。繁殖ペア数は 2005年以降、毎年減少した。この繁殖ペア数の減少は、入江湾口部の累積的改変に伴う産卵基盤の砂州の劣化が一因を担っている可能性が示唆された。本研究の歴史生態学的なアプローチは、カブトガニなどの沿岸域を生息場所とする希少種の保全において、個体数減少と沿岸開発との因果関係をひも解く際の初期解析方法として有効であると考えられる。