Institute for Biodiversity Science & Sustainability

  • Library of Life
  • IZG
  • Entomology
  • Herpetology
  • Ichthyology
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The Academy’s Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability is at the forefront of efforts to understand two of the most important topics of our time: the nature and future of life on Earth.

Based at the Academy in San Francisco, the Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability (IBSS) is at the forefront of efforts to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. Home to more than 100 research scientists and nearly 46 million scientific specimens from around the world—nearly 60,000 of which are alive and on display in the Academy’s Steinhart Aquarium—IBSS also leverages the expertise of more than 100 international Research and Field Associates, 450 distinguished Fellows, and our in-house team of aquarium biologists.

Through expeditions around the globe, investigations in the lab, and analysis of vast biological datasets, IBSS scientists work to understand the evolution and interconnectedness of organisms and ecosystems, the threats they face around the world, and the most effective strategies for ensuring they thrive into the future. Through deeply collaborative partnerships and innovative public engagement initiatives, they also guide critical conservation decisions worldwide, inspire and mentor the next generation of scientists, and foster responsible stewardship of our planet.

Collections

Curating invaluable collections

With nearly 46 million scientific specimens from around the world, the Academy’s research collections provide one of the best records of life on Earth, both now and in the past. This vast library of life—available to scientists around the world, both in person and online—helps us track the spread of disease, predict the impact of climate change, and much more.

Explore our collections in an interactive virtual tour produced by the San Francisco Chronicle.

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Filling in the Tree of Life

Filling in the tree of life

Despite intensive efforts to document life on Earth, scientists estimate that more than 90 percent of the species on our planet have yet to be discovered. Academy scientists are racing to discover new species and determine their place on the tree of life—with the ultimate goal of protecting them before they disappear.

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Understanding Patterns and Connections

Understanding patterns and connections

To provide the best conservation recommendations, we must understand not only what lives where, but also how species reproduce, interact with one another and respond to threats. To address this need, Academy scientists map species distributions, analyze reproductive strategies, study food web and other ecosystem interactions, and more.

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Tackling Conservation Challenges

Tackling conservation challenges

Detailed knowledge about the evolution, distribution, and interconnectedness of life on Earth allows Academy scientists to make thoughtful conservation recommendations and participate in critical discussions about sustainability challenges. Through partnerships with governments and conservation organizations, community outreach, captive breeding programs, and public engagement initiatives, Academy scientists are helping to shape a sustainable future for our planet.

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IBSS Visitor Code of Conduct

The California Academy of Sciences is committed to a work environment that values respect, integrity, diversity, innovation, and ingenuity. All visitors to IBSS need to agree to our Code of Conduct. 

View Code of Conduct
Academy Fellows

A governing group of approximately 450 distinguished scientists, Academy Fellows have made notable contributions to one or more of the natural sciences and help further the reach of our research and education initiatives through individual and collaborative efforts with Academy researchers. Nominated by their colleagues and selected by the Board of Trustees, Academy Fellows remain members of the Fellowship for life.

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Research Associates

Research Associates are unsalaried, 3-year appointments in the Institute of Biodiversity Science and Sustainability. These individuals work closely with one or more Academy research departments and share our goals of advancing science and education.

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Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

The California Academy of Sciences’ Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (the “IACUC”) seeks to support the Academy’s mission through its oversight of the Academy’s Program for the humane care and use of animals.

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Science

For more than 160 years, Academy scientists have been working to discover and document biodiversity around the world—from the tops of the highest mountains to the depths of the oceans.
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giant clam
IZG Projects

Our scientists study the rich diversity of marine invertebrates, including corals, mollusks, urchins, and more.

Coral spawning in the Academy's coral spawning lab.
Coral Regeneration Lab (CoRL)

Researchers in the Coral Regeneration Lab are successfully breeding coral to regenerate reefs around the world.

A fire urchin clings to a fishing line in the Philippines.
Plastic pollution on coral reefs increases with depth and mostly comes from fishing activities, Nature study finds

Researchers find troubling signs of human impact on coral reefs and promising strategies to ramp up protections.

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Drawing of a Steller's sea cow

A drawing of a Steller's sea cow, an extinct marine megaherbivore. (Biodiversity Heritage Library, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Academy researchers reveal how extinct Steller’s sea cow shaped kelp forests

Using a novel Past-Present-Future approach, the researchers uncovered the "sea cow effect" on kelp forests.

Learning

We believe discovery is just the first step in our work—sharing our findings with community leaders, governments, and science enthusiasts of all ages is a critical part of our mission.
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Biodiversity course wordmark
Biodiversity Course

Embark on a virtual expedition around the world in this online course, featuring videos, quizzes, and more.

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The California Academy of Sciences will leverage Picturae's conveyor belt technology to digitize 1 million CA botany specimens

Picturae’s state-of-the-art conveyor belt systems and technology will enable the Academy to digitize specimens ten times faster than before, generating roughly 4,000 images per day.

California Academy of Sciences Receives $2.4 Million to Digitize 1 Million California Botany Specimens

Democratized access to collections data will help guide conservation and management decisions across the state.

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Untold Stories from the Archives

Explore profiles of marginalized, under-recognized Academy staff created by Careers in Science interns.

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A group of people hovers around several burning piles of leaves and twigs, in a shaded forest clearing with blue skies in the background.
Sparking Regeneration With Indigenous Science
Discover the age-old, ecologically important tradition of cultural burning with the North Fork Mono Tribe.

Collaboration

By working with partners and the general public, developing captive breeding programs, and training the next generation of scientists, we are tackling some of today’s biggest sustainability challenges.
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Citizen science observation
Community Science

Learn more about the Academy's community science program, and join an upcoming bioblitz or biodiversity survey.

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A diver bobs in the water while two penguins stand on a rocky outcrop; three-masted ship sits still in the background.
A Galápagos Homecoming
Academy researchers rekindled partnerships and found a few new-to-science sea slugs in the famed archipelago.
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Patterson Scholars

Patterson Scholars are committed to regenerating the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.

Dr. Brian Fisher points at a computer as Academy entomologists look on
Lakeside Fellows

Every year, scholars from developing countries around the world visit the Academy for scientific collaborations.