Explore, Explain, and Sustain! Newslettter

Issue 1 November 2014

Welcome to the Inaugural Issue of our Newsletter!

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the newsletter from the Finally, we are pleased to announce that we are resuming Institute of Biodiversity Science and Sustainability at the publication of the Proceedings of the California Academy California Academy of Sciences. We are excited to be part of Sciences. No time to sleep! We continue to welcome of a dynamic museum team that is growing, innovating, visitors and colleagues to the Academy, fulfilling our role and addressing pressing issues that relate to our core in next-generation science as we “explore the unexplored, strength: biodiversity. The research team at the Academy explain the unexplained, and sustain the unsustained.” currently manages approximately 45 million specimens and conducts research in more than 20 countries. Explore, Explain, and Sustain!

This summer, the Academy welcomed our new Executive Director, Dr. Jonathan Foley, who has invited all of us to Meg Lowman participate in shaping the future of the Academy through Chief of Science his “Academy2020” program. This will include our IBSS & Sustainability ADVANCE (not a retreat, since we are looking forward!), the hiring of two new researchers, the acquisition of iNaturalist, which provides a great online platform for citizen science and biodiversity monitoring, and the launch of a major digitization initiative for our collections.

Six of our long-serving, outstanding curators have accepted a voluntary retirement plan generously funded by our endowment, but we are thrilled that they will continue their important work under our roof as emeritus curators. The search begins this fall for the first replacement, our Schlinger Chair of Arachnology. Peter Roopnarine, Ph.D., Curator of Geology - Chief Editor Brian Simison, Ph.D, Curator of Genomics - Assistant Editor Charlotte Pfeiffer, Program Coordinator – Managing Editor

Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

1 1 Explore, Explain, and Sustain Newsletter Issue 1

Research Briefs

Six Named Curator Emeriti biodiversity hotspots and targets for Charles Griswold, More than 200 years of experience conservation decisions. Ph.D., Schlinger Chair Peter Roopnarine, Curator of Geology of Arachnology, Tom Daniel, Ph.D., Entomology. Charles This year has been one of big Curator, Botany. Tom changes for the Academy, and IBSS is one of the world’s has worked broadly leading experts on is no exception. In addition to the on the biogeography, arrival of Dr. Jonathan Foley, new spiders. His studies evolution, and include the discovery Executive Director, and Dr. Meg ecosystem roles of a Lowman, the new Chief of Science and description of wide variety of new taxa, and the and Sustainability, six of the IBSS’s plants. He has most senior curators also retired biogeography, phylogenetics and discovered and evolutionary biology of this important on September 30th. They include described dozens of Drs. Frank Almeda, Tom Daniel, Bob group. During his career he has new species, published more than 150 discovered and described 322 new Drewes, Charles Griswold, Dave scientific papers and monographs, and Kavanaugh, and John McCosker, who species, 45 new genera, and an developed comprehensive entirely new family of spiders. His together have served the Academy descriptions of one of the most for a total of more than 200 years. work includes his description in 2012 diverse plant families, the of a new genus and family of spiders Our colleagues have transitioned Acanthaceae. immediately to the status of Emeritus - Trogloraptor, found in Oregon caves. curator, and all have the opportunity Trogloraptoridae is the first new to continue with their research at family of spiders discovered in North Robert (Bob) America since the 1890s. the Academy with full access to IBSS Drewes, Ph.D., resources. Here, in our inaugural Curator, Herpetology. newsletter, we wish to thank, Bob’s research has Dave Kavanaugh, celebrate, and honor our colleagues. focused Ph.D., Senior Their stamps on the Academy, overwhelmingly on Curator, research at the Academy, and the the natural history Entomology. Dave’s broader communities of their areas and evolution of love and of expertise will be felt for years to African unparalleled come. Please join us in recognizing and reptiles, and he expertise are these outstanding individuals. is a legend of African fieldwork. After devoted to a family more than three decades of work on of predatory ground the African mainland, he shifted focus beetles, the Frank Almeda, Ph.D., to the poorly known Gulf of Carabidae. His fascination stems, in Senior Curator, Islands off west Africa. In addition to part, from their relative diversity and Decker and Martha leading numerous multidisciplinary abundance in cold, isolated places McAllister Chair of expeditions to the islands, he has where changes in the distribution of Botany. Frank is worked tirelessly with the local organisms are often early indicators of world-renowned for populations and government to wider environmental change. He his work on the further education and appreciation of specializes in a particular genus of family the islands’ biological resources. carabids, Nebria, relics from the Ice Melastomataceae, Those efforts culminated in the Age that have provided many addressing questions UNESCO designation of Principe Island surprising discoveries throughout his of botanical diversity, biogeography as a World Biosphere Reserve in 2013. research. In 1973, Dave stumbled and evolution, including the use of upon a brilliant purple beetle while plant families as indicators of walking along the Hoback River in Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

2 Explore, Explain, and Sustain Newsletter Issue 1

Research Briefs cont’d

Wyoming. The closest relative of this find out how these two beetle, which he officially named species have evolved a reproductive Nebria beverlianna after his wife strategy that suits the weather in their Beverly, is found near glacial rivers in environment. Also we are passionate British Columbia and Alberta at much to learn about the diet of the two mentioned species and their place in higher elevations. Dave’s work has the food chain and how they impact been published in 24 different peer- other creatures that they interact with reviewed journals and as chapters in Joins IBSS in their environment. Our findings 14 books. A Student and Curator Profile will inform scientists and stakeholders Charlotte Pfeiffer, Program Coordinator on the needs of caecilians for conservation purposes.” John McCosker, In spring of 2014, the Institute for Ph.D., Senior Curator Biodiversity Science and Sustainability What is the connection between and Chair, Aquatic welcomed it’s first graduate student Cameroon and the research at the Biology. During his from the west african country of Institute for Biodiversity Science and more than 40 years Cameroon. Marcel Talla Kouete was Sustainability? Blackburn says, “The with the Academy, born in Douala, which is located Academy brings strengths from IBSS in John served as in the coastal area of his home studying African biodiversity and from Director of Steinhart country. In Kouete’s early years in the Steinhart Aquarium in Aquarium for more Douala, through the early 1970’s husbandry to our work in Cameroon. than two decades, to the late 1980’s, the economy I first did field research in Cameroon was flourishing due to the shipping in 2004 and I’ve been working on as well as the Director of Business and industry off the coast of Cameroon. Finance, Director of Public Programs, the diversity of amphibians there His mother encouraged him to ever since. In the past ten years, and the Interim Executive Director on pursue his education and to pay our work has resulted in discovery two occasions. He eventually became rigorous attention to his schoolwork. of new species, documentation of the first Chair of Aquatic Biology, a He acknowledges the effect this conservation challenges, and new position he has held since 1995. His encouragement had on getting him understanding of the biology of frogs research concerns aquatic animal to where he is today at the university found in Central Africa. I’m particularly evolution and behavior, particularly level. Currently, Kouete is attending excited about being able to work that of snake eels, moray eels, sharks, the M.Sc. program at San Francisco with the Aquarium to learn about the and the fishes of the Galápagos State University. His advisor is David biology of critically endangered frog Islands. His studies of white sharks Blackburn, Ph.D., Associate Curator species from Cameroon.” Kouete in the Department of Herpetology in reminds us that his home country is (Carcharodon carcharias) have result- IBSS. ed in numerous technical and popular a unique biodiversity hot spot with well qualified locals who are willing publications, books, and documenta- Currently, Kouete is studying to reliably carry out field-based ries (NOVA, BBC, National Geographic, caecilians, which are the least experiments and share their accounts and others) have changed our under- known group among amphibians. with other researchers. There are also standing of white shark behavior and In his research, he will be looking the in-country connections between informed public safety policies and at the reproductive biology of two the Academy and local administrative legislation designed to protect the species Herpele squalostoma and and scientific authorities that can help seraphini species. , in relation to the Academy establish useful contacts seasonal changes and diet. These and speed up the typical processes species are mostly found in lowland required to obtain permits and areas in Cameroon. Kouete recently organize travel necessary to conduct wrote, “We are interested to know scientific research. if there is a link between the season (rainy season for example) and time Marcel has received a grant from the Lakeside to reproduction. We would like to Foundation for his study at SFSU and his IBSS research.

Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

3 3 Explore, Explain, and Sustain Newsletter Issue 1

IBSS Promotions

Luiz Rocha, Ph.D. David Blackburn, Ph.D. Jack Dumbacher, Ph.D.

Dr. Luiz Rocha specializes in coral Dr. David Blackburn specializes Dr. Jack Dumbacher studies reef fish and his research has in the systematics, evolution, the evolution and systematics literally pushed the depths of our and conservation of amphib- of birds and mammals. These understanding of fish speciation, ians. His work in Africa has include the discovery of toxin phylogeography, and diversity. He fostered tremendous scientific production in the Pitohui birds of combines technological advances collboration around a group Papua New Guinea, new insights in SCUBA and genomics to study of organisms currently facing into avian speciation and phylo- the processes of fish diversifi- worldwide declines. His extensive geography, contributions to spot- cation in the most pristine and expeditions have enhanced the ted owl biology and conserva- threatened reefs in the world. His Academy’s herpetology collec- tion, and the discovery of a new deep dives to the twilight zone tions and provided the basis for species of African mammal, the invariably recover new species, his systematic research program. smallest of the elephant shrews. some so different they remain Blackburn plays leadership roles His global expedition history has a puzzle for classification. He is in several professional societies included important specimen a pioneer in the exploration of and the development of online contributions to the Ornithology under-explored places, gaining an resources such as AmphibiaWeb and Mammalogy collection at international reputation for this and VertNet, and he is a strong the Academy, and a renowned work. Under his curation, many advocate for outreach and con- scientific resource, one that unique and previously unattain- servation. Blackburn is an active Dumbacher and the Academy able specimens have expanded mentor of students, a dynamic leverage often for exhibits and the Academy’s ichthyology collec- presenter on the public floor, educational programs. Dumbach- tion. Rocha is an avid educator, and has contributed to many er is a leader in natural history mentor, and photographer whose Academy programs and exhibits, education and conservation service and public outreach most recently a joint endeavor throughout our community and activities are prolific and include with the Aquarium staff to breed beyond, actively advancing our collaborations with staff from the and display endangered frogs. sustainability commitment to the Steinhart Aquarium. He was pro- He was promoted from Assistant world. He was promoted from moted from Assistant Curator to Curator to Associate Curator of Associate Curator to Curator of Associate Curator of Ichthyology Herpetology. Ornithology and Mammalogy in in September 2014. September 2014.

Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

4 Explore, Explain, and Sustain Newsletter Issue 1

2014 Student Thesis Completed Lina Almeida,Ph.D.; University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Análise cladística de Macrobunidae Petrunkevitch 1928 stat. nov. e revisão de Macrobuninae (Araneae)” (translation: Cladistic analysis of Macrobunidae Petrunkevitch, 1928 new rank and revision of Macrobuninae (Araneae); Ph.D., 2013; Advisor: Charles Griswold

Daniela Andriamalala; The George Washington University, Department of Biology; Higher level systematics and evolution of the spider family Oonopidae (Araneae) and the genus Opopaea in Madagascar; Ph.D., 2013; Advisor: Charles Griswold

Lisa Bhattacharyya; San Francisco State University, Department of Biology; Phylogenetic analysis of beetles in the Trechus ovipennis species group (Coleoptera: Carabidae); M.Sc., 2013; Advisor: David H. Kavanaugh

Natalia Chousou-Polydouri; University of California, Berkeley, Environmental Science, Policy, and Management; From Spiders to Languages: a Phylogenetic Journey; Ph.D., 2014; Advisor: Charles Griswold

Greg Jongsma; San Francisco State University, Department of Biology; Diversity and biogeography of the frog genus Hylarana (Ranidae) across sub-Saharan Africa; M.Sc., 2014; Advisor: David C. Blackburn 2014 New Members Lina Almeida, Ph.D., Schlinger Chair of Arachnology Postdoctoral Fellow, April 2014, Advisor/Supervisor: Charles Griswold

Peter Biro, SFSU M.Sc. Student (former SSI Intern), August 2014, Advisor/Supervisor: Tom Daniel

Dylan Burge, Ph.D., Assistant Curator in Botany, March 2014, Supervisor: Meg Lowman

Dana Carrison-Stone, Curatorial Assistant, VIP grant, Invertebrate Zoology and Geology, October 2014, Supervisor: Christina Piotrowski

Cerise Chen, Curatorial Assistant, VIP grant, Invertebrate Zoology and Geology, October 2014, Supervisor: Christina Piotrowski

Sandor Csosz, Ph.D., Schlinger Postdoctoral Fellow in Entomology, August 2014, Advisor/Supervisor: Brian Fisher

Christina Garcia, Curatorial Assistant, Invertebrate Zoology & Geology August 2014, Supervisor: Jean Demouthe

Erika Garcia, SFSU M.Sc. Student and Graduate Assistant, Cal Bug grant, Entomology, August 2014, Advisor/Supervisor: Charles Griswold

Lizette Guzman-Zaragoza, SFSU M.Sc. Student, August 2013, Advisor: Dylan Burge

Jeffrey Mancera, SFSU M.Sc. Student, August 2014, Advisor: Frank Almeda

Jayanthi Puniamoorthy, SFSU M.Sc. Student, August 2014, Advisor/Supervisor: Brian Fisher

Marcel Talla Kouete, SFSU M.Sc., Vertebrate Zoology and Anthropology, Section of Herpetology, January 2014, Advisor/Supervisor: David C Blackburn

Michelle Trautwein, Ph.D., Assistant Curator in Entomology, May 2014, Supervisor: Meg Lowman

Alexis Weinnig, IBSS(IZG)/Education, SFSU M.Sc. & Graduate Fellowship, Sept. 2013, Advisor/Supervisor: Gary Williams

Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

5 5 Explore, Explain, and Sustain Newsletter Issue 1

2014 External Funding Alemseged, Zeresenay; $179,825; National Science Foundation; Integrating multidisciplinary tools to study Plio-Pleistocene paleoecology of early hominins from the Omo Valley, Ethiopia; 2013-2016 Barbour, Alan; Shannon Bennett; $527,639; National Institute of Health; Biodefense and Infectious Diseases; 2012-2014 Blackburn, David C.; A.M. Bauer (Villanova University); $180,000; JRS Biodiversity Foundation; Digitizing Southwestern African Herpetological Collections; 2014-2016 Blackburn, David C.; $709,161; National Science Foundation; Biotic Surveys of Central Saharan Oases; 2010-2015 Blum, Stan; $458,774; National Science Foundation; Global Names Architecture; 2011-2015 Burge, Dylan; $78,500; United States Navy; Genetics of Del Mar Manzanita and Nuttall scrub oak; 2014-2015. Dumbacher, Jack, Jens Vindum; $30,393; Fish & Wildlife Service; Biological Surveys on National Wildlife Refuges in the Pacific Southwest Region; 2013-2018 Dunn, Robert, Jenifer Corn, Angela Duncan, Margaret (Meg) Lowman, Ashlie Thompson, Julie Urban; $4,286,775; National Science Foundation; Students Discover: Improving Middle School STEM Outcomes through Scaling Citizen Science Projects; 2013-2018 Fisher, Brian; $25,000; National Geographic; Ants of Mozambique and the Southwest Indian Ocean: assessing diversity and biogeographic linkages across the Mozambique Channel.; 2014-2016 Fisher, Brian; $40,000; Autodesk; 3D imaging for species discovery and outreach.; 2014-2016 Flannery, Moe; $49,413; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Enhancing response and data collection fromdead stranded marine mammals in northern California through complete necropsies including CT scans of Odontocetes; 2014-2015 Flannery, Moe; $100,000; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association; Improving staff and volunteer qualifications in order to enhance response and data collection from dead stranded marine mammals in northern California; 2012-2015 Flannery, Moe; $99,945; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Expanding response to and data collection from dead stranded marine mammals in Northern California, specifically in Sonoma County.; 2010-2015 Flannery, Moe; $100,000; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Enhancing response & data collection fromdead stranded marine mammals in N. California; 2010-2014 Gosliner, Terry, Rich Mooi, Gary Williams, Luiz Rocha; $610,645; National Science Foundation; Collaborative Proposal: Documenting diversity in the apex of the Coral Triangle: an inventory of Philippine marine biodiversity; 2013-2014 Griswold, Charles; Norman D. Penny; $134,803; National Science Foundation; Collaborative Research: Cal Bug, an interactive database using Arthropods to Examine Impacts of Climate & Habitat Modification; 2010-2015 Griswold, Charles; $319,303; National Science Foundation; PBI: Collaborative Research: The Megadiverse, Microdistributed Spider Family Oonopidae; 2006-2013 Hedin, Marshal, Charles Griswold; $35,000; National Science Foundation; Integrative species discovery and comparison of multilocus species delimitation methods in short-range endemic harvestmen (Opiliones, Arachnida); 2014-2017 Kavanaugh, David H.; Norman D. Penney; $77,400; National Science Foundation; Digitization TCN: Collaborative Research: Plants, Herbivores, and Parasitoids: A Model System for the study of Tri-Trophic Associations; 2011-2016 Kavanaugh, David H.; Norman D. Penney; $52,330; National Science Foundation; Collaborative Research: Digitization TCN: Developing a Centralized Digital Archive of Vouchered Animal Communication Signals; 2013-2017 Mabee, P., David C. Blackburn; $53,018; National Science Foundation; Ontology-enabled reasoning across phenotypes from evolution and model organisms; 2010-2013

Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

6 Explore, Explain, and Sustain Newsletter Issue 1

2014 External Funding Michaelangeli, Fabian, Frank Almeda; $736,159; National Science Foundation; PBI: A complete Web-based Monograph of the Tribe Miconieae; 2009-2015 Miller, William, Margaret (Meg) Lowman; 189,251.00; REU Site: #D Invertebrate Herbivory and Biodiversity in Deciduous North American Canopies: Inspiring students with Physical disabilities to pursue field biology; 2013-2015 Mooi, Rich; $451,597; National Science Foundation; REU Site: Biodiversity Science in Summer Systematics Inst. CAS; 2014-2019 Penneys, Darin S., Frank Almeda, Peter W. Fritsch, Fabian A. Michelangeli; $545,200; National Science Foundation; Assessing phylogeny and biogeography in a megadiverse tropical plant family (Melastomataceae); 2012-2015 Piotrowski, Christina; $10,000; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Curation of invertebrates of the eastern Chukchi Sea obtained by benthic trawling; 2014 Reynolds, Travis, Cathy Collins, Margaret (Meg) Lowman; $391,470; National Science Foundation; Undergraduate Research in the Cultural, Economic and Ecological Significance of Church in South Gondar, Ethiopia; 2015-2018 Rocha, Luiz, Joseph DiBattista, Michael Berumen, Jean-Paul Hobbs, Gerald Allen; $24,000; National Geographic; The Socotra Archipelago: Islands at the crossroads that illuminate reef fish evolution; 2014-2015 Rocha, Luiz, Robert Cowen et al.; $109,521; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; REPP Connectivity Pulley Ridge; 2011- 2014 Rocha, Luiz, Hank Bart et al.; $138,365; National Science Foundation; Georeferencing the CalAcademy Ichthyology Collection; 2012- 2015 Rocha, Luiz, Michael Berumen, Joseph DiBattista et al.; $1,388,000; King Abdullah University of Science and Technology; Biodiversity in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea; 2012-2015 Rocha, Luiz, Michael Berumen, Joseph DiBattista; $99,000; King Abdullah University of Science and Technology; Workshop in Western Indian Ocean Biogeography; 2014 Roopnarine, Peter; $96,510; National Science Foundation; ELT Collaborative Research:Restructuring of terrestrial environments following the Permian-Triassic mass extinction; 2013-2018 Sands, Diane; $24,975; Institute of Museum and Library Services; One Truth Many Lies: A New View of Art and Natural History Collections; 2013-2014 Simison, W. Brian, Jack Dumbacher, Jens Vindum; $178,937.00; National Science Foundation; CSBR: Natural History Collections: Liquid Nitrogen Facilities for Biological Specimen Curation and Research at the California Academy of Sciences; 2012-2014 Brian Wiegmann and Michelle Trautwein; $600,000; National Science Foundation; Beyond Drosophila: Transcriptomics to resolve the rapid radiation of Schizophoran flies; 2013-2015 Trock, Debra; $384,378; National Science Foundation; Harnessing the Power of Herbaria to understand the Changing Flora of CA; 2010-2014 Yager, Heather, 6 peer institutions; $298,237; Institute of Museum and Library Services; Connecting Content: A Collaboration to Link Field Notes to Specimens and Published Literature; 2010-2014 Yager, Heather; $50,600; Council on Library and Information Resources; Frontier Science: The Early Scientific History of the California Academy of Sciences; 2014-2015 Yager, Heather; $6,000; California Audiovisual Preservation Project; Preservation of California’s Audiovisual Science History; 2014- 2015

Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

7 7