San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and Scripps Institution of Oceanography partner for innovative conservation efforts
Collaboration harnesses advanced digital technology and biobanking techniques to boost conservation impact
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Image of the Safari Park Biodiversity Reserve (SPBR), the model for the first prototype of the digital twin. The SPBR is located in Escondido, California at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park
view moreCredit: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
SAN DIEGO (April 7, 2026) – Today, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) and UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography announced a formal partnership through the Agile Restoration & Conservation Hubs (ARCH) initiative. With over 200 years of combined experience in scientific research and public outreach, the two organizations aim to jointly accelerate innovation and expand their global conservation impact.
Biodiversity threats, emerging pathogens and environmental challenges are complex, interconnected crises growing faster than current strategies can address. Technological and system limitations have hindered the development of solutions at the speed and scale required, creating an urgent need for large-scale, adaptable approaches to conservation.
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,” says 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.”
“This collaboration offers a unique opportunity to combine resources, knowledge and innovation to address pressing environmental challenges,” says Nadine Lamberski, chief conservation and wildlife health officer at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “By uniting San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s expertise in wildlife care and conservation science with Scripps Oceanography’s leadership in marine and atmospheric research, we can drive meaningful conservation breakthroughs that protect biodiversity.”
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,” says 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,” says 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.”
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and Scripps Institution of Oceanography 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.
About San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, a nonprofit conservation leader, inspires passion for nature and collaboration for a healthier world. The Alliance supports innovative conservation science through global partnerships and groundbreaking efforts at the world-famous San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, both leading zoological institutions and accredited botanical gardens. Through wildlife care expertise, cutting-edge science and continued collaboration, more than 44 endangered species have been reintroduced to native habitats. The Alliance reaches over 1 billion people annually through its two conservation parks and media channels in 170 countries, including San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers television, available in children’s hospitals across 14 countries. Wildlife Allies—members, donors and guests—make success possible.
About Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego is one of the world’s most important centers for global earth science research and education. In its second century of discovery, Scripps scientists work to understand and protect the planet, and investigate our oceans, Earth, and atmosphere to find solutions to our greatest environmental challenges. Scripps offers unparalleled education and training for the next generation of scientific and environmental leaders through its undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs. The institution also operates a fleet of four oceanographic research vessels, and is home to Birch Aquarium at Scripps, the public exploration center that welcomes 500,000 visitors each year.
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Link to Images: https://sandiegozoo.box.com/s/hzntl25e50x8bgnwadnarebjf79k92ox
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Photos of Safari Park Biodiversity Reserve
Photos of the Frozen Zoo
Photos of giant kelp embryos in the lab at Scripps Oceanography
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