Zoological/Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) Project acronyms

Below is a partial list of acronyms commonly used across the zoological community and in the ZIMS Project. If you are aware of acronyms that are not yet posted below, please send suggestions to news@isis.org.

A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z  

A __________________________________________________________________________

AAALAC – American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care
AAAS – American Association for the Advancement of Science
AABGA – American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta
AAEE – Australian Association of Environmental Educators
AAM – American Association of Museums
AAV – Association of Avian Veterinarians
AAZK – American Association of Zoo Keepers
AAZPA – American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (legal name of AZA)
AAZV – American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
ABA – American Birding Association
ABC – American Bird Conservancy
ABS – Animal Behavior Society
ABWAK – Association of British Wild Animal Keepers
ACOPAZOO – Asociación Colombiana de Parques Zoológicos
ACORENA – Asociación para la Conservación de los Recursos Naturales (Costa Rica)
ADSS – ISIS Board Animal Data Standards Subcommittee
ADISC – Animal Data Information Systems Committee
ADZG – Association of Danish Zoological Gardens
AEO – Animal Exchange Online
AEZA – Asociación Española de Zoos y Acuarios
AFA – American Federation of Aviculture
AFO – Association of Field Ornithologists
AfRSG – African Rhino Specialist Group (SSC)
AI – Artificial Insemination
ALPZA – Asociación Latino Americana de Parques Zoológicos y Acuarios (formerly LAAZGA)
AMACZOOA – Asociación Mesoamericana y del Caribe de Zoológicos y Acuarios (formerly AMAZOO – Association of Meso-American Zoos)
ANPJZP – Association Nationale de Parcs et Jardins Zoologiques Prives (France)
AOU – American Ornithologists' Union
AP & WS – American Pheasant & Waterfowl Society
APHIS – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
ARAZPA – Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria
ARCS – AZA’s Annual Report on Conservation and Science
ARKS – ISIS Animal Records Keeping System
ASIH – American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
ASM – American Society of Mammalogists
ASMP – Australasian Species Management Programme
ASP – American Society of Primatologists or Application Service Provider
AsRSG – Asian Rhino Specialist Group (SSC)
ASTC – Association of Science and Technology Centers
ASZK – Australasian Society of Zoo Keeping
AVPZA – Asociación Venozolona de Parques Zoológicos y Acuarios
AWA – Animal Welfare Act (US)
AYM – Association of Youth Museums
AZA – American Zoo and Aquarium Association (formerly AAZPA)
AZCARM – Asociación de Zoológicos, Criaderos y Acuarios de la República Mexicana
AZDANZ – Association of Zoo Directors of Australia and New Zealand
AZE – Alliance for Zero Extinction
AZH – Association of Zoological Horticulture
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B __________________________________________________________________________

BCIS – Biodiversity Conservation Information System
BFF – Black-footed ferret
BLM – Bureau of Land Management (US)
BNHS – Bombay Natural History Society
BRD – Biological Resources Division (US Geological Survey)
BUC – business use case
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C __________________________________________________________________________

CAM – Conservation and Animal Management Committee (of British Federation)
CAMP – Conservation Assessment and Management Plan
CAP – AZA’s Conservation Action Partnership (formerly FIG)
CAUZ – Consortium of Aquariums, Universities, and Zoos
CAZA – Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (formerly CAZPA)
CAZG – Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens
CBSG – Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (formerly Captive Breeding Specialist Group)
CCF – Cheetah Conservation Fund (Namibia)
CDC – Centers for Disease Control (U.S. Public Health Service)
CDC – Conservation Data Centers (TNC)
CEF – AZA’s Conservation Endowment Fund
CI – Conservation International
CIRCC – WAZA’s Committee on Interregional Conservation Coordination
CITES – Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
COGBAZ – Council of Governing Bodies of Australasian Zoos
CONAF – Corporación Nacional Forestal (Chile)
COS – Cooper Ornithological Society
COSEWIC – Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada
CPC – Center for Plant Conservation
CPR – Captive Propagation Rescue
CPRG – Conservation Programs Resource Guide (AZA publication)
CRC – Conservation & Research Center
CRES – Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species
CREW – Center for Reproduction of Endangered Wildlife (Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden)
CPRG – AZA’s Conservation Programs Resource Guide
CSZF/USCZG – Union of Czech and Slovac Zoological Gardens
CWGBT – Cooperative Working Group on Bird Trade
CWS – Colonial Waterbird Society
CZA – Central Zoo Authority (India)
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D __________________________________________________________________________

DAPTF – Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force (IUCN/SSC)
DOE – Department Of Energy (US)
DRG – Division of Research Grants (US National Institute of Health)
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E __________________________________________________________________________

EAZA – European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (formerly ECAZA)
EARAZA – Euro-Asian Regional Association of Zoos and Aquaria (Russia)
ECAZA – European Community of Zoological Gardens and Aquaria (now EAZA)
ED – Department of Education (US)
EEP – European Endangered Species Programme
EIS – Environmental Impact Statement (US)
EPA – Environmental Protection Agency (US)
ESA – Ecological Society of America
ESA – Endangered Species Act (US)
ESP – Ecosystem Survival Plan
EUAC – European Union of Aquarium Curators
EZE – European Zoo Educators
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F __________________________________________________________________________

FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization (UN)
FASEB – Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
FCAG – Field Conservation Advisory Group
FCC – AZA’s Field Conservation Committee
FCRG – Field Conservation Resource Guide (AZA publication)
FFI – Fauna and Flora International
FGE – founder genome equivalent
FIC – founder importance coefficient
FIG – AZA’s Fauna Interest Group (now CAP)
FUNDAZOO – Fundación Pro Zoológico (Costa Rica)
FUNPZA – Fundación Nacional de Parques Zoologicos y Aquarios (Venezuela)
FWS – Fish and Wildlife Service (US)
FZGGB – Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great Britain and Ireland
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G __________________________________________________________________________

GADG – Global Animal Data Group
GASP – CBSG’s Global Animal Survival Plan (now GCS)
GCAP – CBSG’s Global Captive Action Plan (now GCAR)
GCAR – CBSG’s Global Captive Action Recommendation (formerly GCAP)
GCS – Global Conservation Strategy (formerly GASP)
GDAWR – Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources
GHSP – Global Heritage Species Program
GIS – Geographic Information System
GLAZE – Gay and Lesbian Association of Zoo Employees
GLT – Golden lion tamarin
GMPWG – Global Management Plan Working Group
GSA – General Services Administration
GU – Genome uniqueness
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H __________________________________________________________________________

HCP – Habitat Conservation Plan
HL – Herpetologist League
HSUS – Humane Society of the United States
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I __________________________________________________________________________

IAAAM – International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine
IAAPA – International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
IAATE – International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators
IAC – International Aquarium Congress
IACUC – Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
IADISC – International Animal Data Information Systems Committee
IAFWA – International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
IBA – Important Bird Areas (US National Audubon Society)
IBAMA – Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Natural Renewable Resources
IBPGR – International Board for Plant Genetic Resources
ICBP – IUCN’s International Council for Bird Preservation
ICC – Invertebrate Conservation Center (ZSL)
ICP – Institutional Collection Plan
ICSI – intracytoplasmic sperm injection
IGBP – International Geosphere and Biosphere Program
ILAR – Institute of Laboratory Animal Research
IDMAG – AZA’s Institutional Data Management Advisory Group
IMATA – International Marine Animal Trainers Association
IMLS – Institute of Museum and Library Services (US)
IPAM – International Partnerships Among Museums
IPBIR – Integrated Primate Biomaterials and Information Resource
IPCC – International Panel on Climate Change
IPPL – International Primate Protection League
IPS – International Society of Primatologists
IRF – International Rhino Foundation
ISEC – International Society for Endangered Cats
ISIS – International Species Information System
ISPTR – International Society for the Preservation of the Tropical Rainforest
ISZ – International Society of Zooculturists
IT – Information Technology
IUCN – The World Conservation Union (formerly International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources)
IUDZG – International Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens (now WZO)
IUPN – International Union for the Protection of Nature (now IUCN)
IVF – in-vitro fertilization
IVM – in-vitro maturation
IWC – International Whaling Commission
IWWA – International Wild Waterfowl Association
IZDA – Indian Zoo Directors Association
IZE – International Zoo Educators
IZN – International Zoo News
IZPA – Indonesian Zoological Parks Association
IZY – International Zoo Yearbook
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J __________________________________________________________________________

JAZA – Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums
JAZAE – Japanese Association of Zoo and Aquarium Educators
JAZGA – Japanese Association of Zoological Gardens and Aquariums
JGI – Jane Goodall Institute
JMSC – Joint Management of Species Committee
JWPT – Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (now Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust)
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K __________________________________________________________________________

KV – Kinship value
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L __________________________________________________________________________

LAAZGA – Latin American Association of Zoological Gardens and Aquariums (now ALPZA)
LSIG – AZA’s Librarians Special Interest Group
LTER – Long-Term Ecological Research Sites (US National Science Foundation)
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M __________________________________________________________________________

MAI – maximum avoidance of inbreeding
MAP – Museum Assessment Program
MAZA – Mid-America Zoo Alliance
MBTA – Migratory Bird Treaty Act
MedARKS – Medical Animal Records Keeping System
MET – Ministry of Environment and Tourism (Namibia)
MK – mean kinship
MMPA – Marine Mammal Protection Act
MOP – Memorandum of Participation
MOU – Memorandum of Understanding
MVP – minimum viable population
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N __________________________________________________________________________

NAAMP – North American Amphibian Monitoring Program
NACAP – AZA’s Conservation Action Partnership: North America (formerly NAFIG)
NAS – National Academy of Sciences (US)
NAS – National Audubon Society (US)
NCI – National Cancer Institute (US)
NEA – National Endowment for the Arts (US)
NEH – National Endowment for the Humanities (US)
NEPA – National Environmental Policy Act (US)
NERP – National Environmental Research Parks (US Department of Education)
NFHZG – National Federation of Hungarian Zoological Gardens
NFRZG – National Foundation for Research in Zoological Gardens (Netherlands)
NFWF – National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (US)
NGO – non-governmental organization
NHP – Natural Heritage Program
NIC – National Institute for Conservation (US)
NIH – National Institutes of Health (US)
NMFS – National Marine Fisheries Service (US)
NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US)
NOAH – National Online Animal Histories (Regional ISIS-like database system in the UK and the Netherlands)
NOAHS – New Opportunities in Animal Health Sciences
NPS – National Park Service (US Department of Interior)
NSF – National Science Foundation (US)
NSF-ISE – National Science Foundation-Informal Science Education (US)
NTIS – National Technical Information Service (US)
NVD – Nederlandse Vereniging van Dierentuinen (Dutch Federation of Zoos)
NWF – National Wildlife Federation (US)
NWRA – National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (US)
NZP – Smithsonian National Zoological Park (US)
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O __________________________________________________________________________

OC – The Ornithological Council
OMA – Office of Management Authority (US)
OSA – Office of Scientific Authority (US)
OSI – Office of Scientific Integrity (US National Institutes of Health)
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P __________________________________________________________________________

PAAZAB – Pan African Association of Zoological Gardens, Aquaria & Botanic Gardens
PADU – Protected Areas Data Unit (World Conservation Monitoring Center)
PAWS – Performing Animal Welfare Society
PERC – Portable Elephant Restraining Chute
PETA – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
PHPA – Nature Conservation and Forest Protection (Indonesia)
PHVA – population and habitat viability analysis
PKBSI – The Indonesian Zoological Parks Association
PMC – Population Management Center (AZA)
PMO – Project Management Office
PMP – Population Management Plan (AZA)
PSG – Pacific Seabird Group
PSG – Project Steering Group (ZIMS)
PVA – Population Viability Analysis
PZS/PZDA – Polish Zoological Society
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Q __________________________________________________________________________

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R __________________________________________________________________________

RCC – AZA’s Research Coordinators Committee
RCP – regional collection plan
REGASP – Regional Animal Species Collection Plan (ISIS/ARAZPA software)
RFP – Request for Proposal
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S __________________________________________________________________________

SAC – Science Advisory Committee (ISIS)
SAG – AZA’s Scientific Advisory Group
SAIO – Salim Ali Institute of Ornithology
SASZ – Swiss Association of Scientific Zoos
SAVE – Save African Endangered Wildlife Foundation
SAZA – Swedish Association of Zoos and Aquaria (formerly SAZPA)
SCB – Society for Conservation Biology
SCOPE – Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment
SEAZA – South East Asian Zoo Association (Indonesia)
SER – Society for Ecological Restoration
SME – Subject Matter Expert
SMCC – Species Management Coordinating Council (ARAZPA and COGBAZ)
SMM – Society for Marine Mammalogy
SNDPZF – Syndicat National des Directeurs de Parcs Zoologiques Francais
SPARKS – Single Population Analysis and Record Keeping System (ISIS software)
SPMAG – Small Population Management Advisory Group
SSAR – Society for the Study of Amphibian and Reptiles
SSC – IUCN’s Species Survival Commission
SSCJ – Species Survival Committee of Japan
SSP – AZA’s Species Survival Plan Program®
SSPSC – AZA’s Species Survival Plan Subcommittee (no longer exists)
SST – AZA’s Strategic Software Task Force
STF – Save the Tiger Fund
SUC – system use case (as used in ZIMS Project)
SZB – Socieda de Zoologicos do Brazil
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T __________________________________________________________________________

TAC – Technology Advisory Committee (ISIS)
TAG – AZA’s Taxon Advisory Group
TFAP – Tropical Forest Action Plan
TMA – Taxon Management Account
TNC – The Nature Conservancy
TP&WD – Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
TRAFFIC – Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce
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U __________________________________________________________________________

UCSZG – Union of Czech and Slovak Zoological Gardens
UIZA/ UIGZ – Unione Italiana dei Giardini Zoologici
UNEP – United Nations Environmental Programme
UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
USAID – United States Agency for International Development
USDA – United States Department of Agriculture
USDI – United States Department of the Interior
USFWS – United States Fish and Wildlife Service
USGCRP – United States Global Change Research Program
USGS – United States Geological Survey
USMAB – United States, The Man And the Biosphere Program
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V __________________________________________________________________________

VDZ – Verband Deutscher Zoodirektoren (German Zoo Union)
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W _________________________________________________________________________

WAZA – World Association of Zoos and Aquariums
WCMC – AZA’s Wildlife Conservation and Management Committee
WCMC – World Conservation Monitoring Centre (Great Britain; formerly IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre)
WCS – Wildlife Conservation Society
WII – Wildlife Institute of India
WOS – Wilson Ornithological Society
WPTC – Wildlife Preservation Trust Canada
WPTI – Wildlife Preservation Trust International
WRI – World Resource Institute
WSPA – World Society for the Protection of Animals
WWF – World Wildlife Fund (US)
WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature
WZO – World Zoo Organization (formerly IUDZG)
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X _________________________________________________________________________

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Y _________________________________________________________________________

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Z _________________________________________________________________________

ZCOG – Zoo Conservation Outreach Group
ZIMS – Zoological Information Management System
ZOO – Zoo Outreach Organisation (India)
ZPOT – Zoological Park Organization of Thailand
ZRA – Zoological Registrars Association
ZSL – Zoological Society of London
ZSSD – Zoological Society of San Diego
ZTWG – ZIMS Technical Design Working Group