Scripps Oceanography and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Partner for Innovative Conservation Efforts

The ARCH initiative provides a solutions-oriented approach, harnessing cutting-edge science, technological innovation and community engagement to address these critical environmental challenges. The joint effort focuses on three core areas of collaboration:

• Knowledge transfer of best practices in collections and biobanking, including the cryopreservation of living cells, with a focus on marine species.
• Innovating advanced conservation technologies, such as “digital twins,” which digitally replicate physical environments or systems.
• Creating student engagement and learning pathways across partner institutions to build the next generation of conservation leaders.

“Through this collaboration, teams across Scripps Institution of Oceanography and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance will unite to drive breakthroughs in conservation science,” said Jack Gilbert, deputy director of research at Scripps Oceanography and a leader with the ARCH initiative. “By leveraging our collective strengths — Scripps Oceanography’s expertise in marine science, weather forecasting and machine learning and the Alliance’s terrestrial wildlife knowledge and extensive conservation practice — this partnership is uniquely positioned to deliver meaningful, science-driven conservation solutions.”

Biobanking

Scientists at SDZWA and Scripps are identifying sampling opportunities and developing biodiversity banking protocols — such as live cell culture and cryopreservation — for marine organisms including fish, invertebrates, microbes and seaweeds. As wildlife and ecosystems face rapid, widespread decline, preserving genetic diversity through biobanking has become a critical tool for understanding, characterizing and conserving biodiversity before it’s too late.

Through workshops and training, SDZWA staff will share best practices with researchers at the world-renowned Scripps Oceanographic Collections as they expand and refine biobanking protocols for marine organisms.

The collaboration draws on SDZWA’s 50 years of experience in biobanking, establishing the organization as a widely recognized leader in the field. The Scripps Oceanographic Collections are among the oldest and largest in the world, often described as “underwater libraries” of preserved specimens that support scientific research, education and decision-making. These repositories include millions of specimens, ranging from marine vertebrates to pelagic and benthic invertebrates.

Yet despite their global importance, the collections currently lack the advanced biobanking infrastructure of SDZWA’s Frozen Zoo. This partnership seeks to bridge that gap, and builds upon the success of an existing SDZWA collaboration with Birch Aquarium at Scripps to spawn the endangered sea star.

“Training and support from the SDZWA team will help Scripps develop sophisticated techniques for biobanking marine species, starting with threatened kelp found right here off San Diego,” said Stuart Sandin, director of the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Scripps and a leader of the ARCH initiative. “We’re excited about the new possibilities this partnership creates for conservation science and education.”

Aligned with the core goal of student engagement and learning, this collaboration will provide students and faculty with hands-on training and information-sharing on biobanking processes, further supporting established conservation initiatives.

Digital twin

The partnership also pioneers the development of advanced conservation technologies, including the creation of a “digital twin.” A digital twin is an intricate digital replication of a physical environment, integrating long-term observational data, in-situ monitoring and AI-driven tools like machine learning pipelines. This innovative approach allows for near-real-time modeling of ecosystems, enabling scientists to simulate and predict the impacts of climate events on biodiversity and local communities.

“The first prototype, a digital twin of the Safari Park Biodiversity Reserve, is already underway and has the potential to revolutionize conservation science,” said Megan Owen, vice president of conservation science at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “This model will serve as a blueprint for future regional and global digital twins, providing a comprehensive, adaptive and scalable tool for addressing biodiversity loss, climate adaptation and community stewardship.”

Scripps Oceanography and SDZWA leaders recently shared additional information on the partnership and its conservation potential at the 2026 South by Southwest (SXSW) tech conference in Austin, Texas. The panel, “Can Science Safeguard Earth’s Wildlife?”, explored how collaborations like the ARCH initiative are driving impactful solutions to today’s environmental challenges. View the panel recording on YouTube.

Learn more about research and education at UC San Diego in: Climate Change, Artificial Intelligence