Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

Seed Bank to Preserve San Diego Biodiversity

When people hear the words endangered species, they immediately think about animals. However, there are plant species that need our help, too.

In a small building at the Wild Animal Park a massive conservation project is underway. The seeds of all 1,500 plant species in San Diego county are slowly being collected, purified, and placed in containers at zero degrees Celsius to be stored for hundreds of years. This is the Seed Bank.

Briana Moseley and her colleagues showed us a typical day in this very unusual bank. A huge tub of aromatic sage sat on a table. It was collected by hand from at least one hundred parents to preserve genetic diversity. We took turns grinding the sage through custom-made sieves and then placing the contents into a machine that separates seed from plant debris by means of just a current of air. This sounds a lot easier than it was. Too strong a current of air and seeds are lost. Too weak and tiny pieces of debris must be picked out by hand. Incredible variation of seed size and weight between species adds another layer of complexity.

So how does collecting seeds and storing them help save species of both plants and animals? To save an animal species, entire ecosystems must be preserved. Some seeds will be used for habitat restoration projects in San Diego helping animals right here in Southern California. As the county with the largest number of endemic species (species that are unique to the area) in the nation, and also the greatest number of endangered species, San Diego County is very lucky to have a seed bank. It’s astounding to think that from tiny seeds grows the chance of protecting the biodiversity of our region.

Koala Conservation through Communication

The koala is, in appearance, an adorable, peaceful, and cuddly animal that children and adults love to see at the San Diego Zoo. Who knew that an animal so cute could produce a deep and guttural bellow? As we went behind the scenes at the koala enclosure, Jennifer Tobey gave the interns some background on when koalas make these bellows and why the study of their communication methods is important.

Similar to the Wild Animal Park’s Caroline Pitt, Ms. Tobey studies the behaviors of animals at the San Diego Zoo in order to understand how and why animals react to certain situations. Koalas, the main focus of Ms. Tobey’s studies, communicate with one another using vocalizations and scent. Since koalas use these methods of communication to find a mate, it is important to study what drives a koala to produce certain hormones and make certain sounds.

At the San Diego Zoo, there has been great success with koala breeding, and Ms. Tobey’s efforts are focused on understanding what about the Zoo promotes the koala reproduction. Since koalas are unique in the fact that a female may mate with a male and still fail to ovulate, it is crucial to understand what about a male’s display may attract a mate. This information can also be applied in the wild, where koala mating calls may be affected by noise pollution and other threats. Field researchers in Australia place GPS tracking devices on select members of a koala population, and then return to that population after several months to observe the koala individuals. Since koala populations in the wild face the same issues as koalas in the San Diego Zoo, Ms. Tobey’s research is helpful to the scientists looking to protect koalas in their natural habitats.

Jane and Veronica - Conservation Team.

Listen to an iZoofari Chat with Jennifer Tobey…

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