Center For Conservation and Research at San Antonio Zoo

29/04/2026

Biodiversity Matters: A deepsea bacterium has been discovered that produces a compound active agains antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, including MRSA. "The search for novel antibiotics has led to the exploration of previously unscrutinised and extreme habitats, such as the deep oceans, caves, deserts and mountains, to isolate new microbial strains with untapped biosynthetic potential. Abyssomicin C, produced by the marine actinomycete Verrucosispora maris AB-18-032, is active against Gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and inhibits p-aminobenzoate formation during tetrahydrofolate synthesis; it is the first natural product active against this therapeutic target." Will you care about biodiversity a little bit more if this discovery, derived from a deepsea bacteriou, produces an antibiotic that saves your life or that of a loved one?

Small wonder: Atrop-abyssomicin C is a small, yet complex spirotetronate (see scheme) that is active against Gram-positive bacteria, such as MRSA. Feeding studies and genetic manipulation of its prod...

22/04/2026

A deepsea light show!!

22/04/2026

Happy Earth Day. Here is a message from our Vice President of Conservation & Research, Dr. Dante:

"Why should you care about a little, blind crayfish, shrimp, fish and salamanders that lives in groundwater? Careful management of groundwater resources will benefit both wildlife and humans. For example, contamination and over-harvest of groundwater threaten both cave crayfish and humans living on the surface. Around the globe, groundwater is often harvested faster than rainfall can replenish it.

Further, the health of groundwater wildlife populations will reflect the quality of the groundwater in which they live. Careful monitoring of groundwater wildlife populations can serve as a warning system for contaminants that may pass through subterranean waters, even if our water testing doesn't detect them. Remember, groundwater inhabitants are exposed to everything that passes through a subterranean waterway and have no place else to seek refuge.

Management of groundwater as a renewable resource is an important point considering that well in excess of 50% of all US citizens now rely directly on groundwater for their freshwater needs. The risk of groundwater contamination in the United States is greatest in agricultural areas where, ironically, an estimated 95% of local residents rely directly on the resource for their water. Let’s protect our groundwater resources... for our children and for the wildlife living there."

22/04/2026

From the Vice President of Conservation & Research at San Antonio Zoo, Dr. Dante, "Happy Earth Day! You may or may not know the expansiveness of the Amazon Basin, the complexity of the forests, and the facts relating to the drainage of such an expanse. Interestingly, millions of years ago, the Amazon River flowed east to west and the river discharged into the Pacific, not the Atlantic. The tectonic uplift of the Andes blocked the drainage system, roughly 10 million years ago, and the river changed course, west to east, and now flows, as we have it today, west to east.

From the mouth of the Amazon River to some of the springs that feed the mighty system in the Andes Mountains, there exists a distance of roughly 6,518 km (~4,075 miles). Two of the longer tributary rivers to the Amazon are the Juruá and Madeira Rivers, both of which are in excess of 3,300 km (2,060+ miles) long. There are over 1000 tributaries to the Amazon; many are expansive. The Amazon and its tributaries drain and area of roughly 7,500,000 km2 (2,900,000 sq mi). That area is approximately 40 percent of the South American continent. Nine countries are involved in the Amazon drainage system.

The rainfall in the area of the contemporary Amazon basin is massive; the region gets between 1,500 and 3,000mm (~60-118 inches) of rainfall per year (much variation exists between localities). Half of that rainfall is derived from jet stream currents from the Atlantic but the other half is derived from water loss by the forest itself. The considerable rainfall requires lots of rivers to drain the forests and the statistics are unbelievable. For example, at any given point in time, the Amazon River contributes between 1/5th and 1/6th of all river discharge into the oceans of the world. Of the world’s top 35 rivers with the greatest water discharge, 13 include the Amazon and its tributary rivers. Three tributary rivers of the Amazon (the Madeira, Japurá, and Negro Rivers) discharge more water than either the Mississippi or St. Lawrence Rivers in North America. Amazingly, 13 tributary rivers and the Amazon discharge more water than the Ohio River in North America; similarly, 13 tributary rivers and the Amazon discharge more water than the Danube River in Europe. The Amazon and one of its tributaries, the Madeira River, both discharge more water than the Yangtze River in China. The Amazon River discharges more than 5 times the amount of water, on average, than the Congo River in Africa and the Orinoco River in South America and about 5.5 times more than the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna River system in Asia.

The loss of this magnificent system would impact weather patterns around the globe and would alter the immediate rainfall patterns of at least one continent. We know healthy rainforest systems are carbon sinks, something we need more of right about now. Looking for more of an immediate impact on your life? One expert estimates that ~25% of the active components of western pharmaceuticals originated from the Amazon region. Undoubtedly there is much more there, awaiting discovery. Humanity can not afford to lose this natural wonder.

I know I have said this before, and that to someone not familiar with the severity of the situation I sound like a broken record, but we need to do more to save the amazing biodiversity of the Amazon Basin. Please support any conservation organization with which you connect. Funding is what makes the difference."

20/04/2026

Did you know? "Platypuses are true oddballs. They look like a mish-mash of several animals, with duck-like bills, beaver-like tails and otter-like bodies. They’re egg-laying mammals, and they hunt by sensing their prey’s electric signals caused by muscle movement. They glow bluish-green under ultraviolet light and they have five times the number of s*x chromosomes as most other mammals. Mature males are venomous, while females produce milk but lack ni***es."

The species’ melanosomes—tiny, pigment-filled structures inside hair cells—are hollow, a trait never before seen in mammals

20/04/2026

Fantastic groundwater wildlife research out of Mexico!

🦐New research into the Yucatan Peninsula’s cenotes is shedding light on the secret lives of Typhlatya shrimps.

By analyzing carbon and nitrogen isotopes, researchers have discovered that these shrimps form the ecological backbone of the anchialine food web. Despite living in the same caves, three distinct species (𝘛. 𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪, 𝘛. 𝘥𝘻𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴, and 𝘛. 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘪) have mastered the art of coexistence.

👉 Check out Pensoft Publishers' blog here: https://blog.pensoft.net/?p=18058

👉 Full article here: https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.55.164068

Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas

19/04/2026

This isn’t a new story but it’s a cool one: “An active volcano has been found to be the keeper of thousands of eggs in Canada. This strange phenomenon is not occurring on land, but deep inside the ocean. Scientists say that these eggs have been laid by the Pacific white skate, a species that is still a mystery to humans.”

An active volcano has been found to be the keeper of thousands of eggs in Canada. This strange phenomenon is not occurring on land, but deep inside the ocean. Scientists say that these eggs have been laid by the Pacific white skate, a species that is still a mystery to humans. These eggs were found....

17/04/2026

International Bat Appreciation Day is celebrated, annually, on April 17th to recognize the ecological importance of bats and to promote their conservation. Founded by Bat Conservation International (BCI), the day highlights how these mammals pollinate plants, disperse seeds, and control insect pests, supporting healthier ecosystems. Bats are crucial nocturnal pollinators, responsible for the reproduction of over 500 species of plants, including many important fruits, vegetables, and beverages:

* Bats play a crucial role in producing chocolate by pollinating cacao trees and protecting them from pests.

* Bats are the primary pollinator for agave, the plant used to create tequila and mezcal. Without them, these plants would not survive, making bats essential for the industry.

* Wild bananas are almost exclusively pollinated by nectar-feeding bats, and bats provide the genetic diversity required for commercial banana varieties.

* Durian, a major Southeast Asian fruit industry (worth over a billion dollars annually) depends on bats.

* Over 300 species of fruit depend on bats for pollination. Key examples include: mangoes, guavas, avocados, dates, cashews, figs and breadfruit.

* Bats are essential for the survival of the Saguaro and Organ Pipe cacti in the American Southwest and Mexico, which provide food and shelter for many desert animals.

* Balsa, known for producing the world's lightest timber, is pollinated by bats.

* Mangrove trees, key for flood control, coastal protection, and nurseries for fish, are pollinated by bats.

* Eucalyptus is pollinated by flying foxes in Australia, providing timber and oils.

* Bats in Texas provide over $1 billion annually in pest control services to agriculture by consuming massive numbers of insects like corn-borer and armyworm moths. A single colony of Mexican free-tailed bats in Central Texas can consume nearly 250 tons of insects nightly, saving farmers roughly $85 per acre in pesticide costs.

There are somewhere between 1,400 and 1,500 identified species of bats worldwide. They represent roughly 20% of all mammal species, making them the second-most diverse mammal order. These diverse creatures live almost everywhere on Earth, excluding extreme deserts and polar regions.

15/04/2026

A fantastic clip of a squid extending its feeding tentacles

10/04/2026

A very nice clip of a deepsea rattail... look at those beautiful blue eyes!

06/02/2026

From the Vice President of Conservation and Research at San Antonio Zoo, Dr. Dante, “More proud moments with the Project Selva artists. They have really worked on their gyotaku skills (Japanese fish printing) to produce pieces like this. Several training workshops have given them a diversity of skills with folks like Heather Fortner and Dwight Hwang helping them develop. The team loves that they can help to keep Heather’s memory alive by continuing the work that she helped to get off the ground.

Did you know that the donations that come in for this art directly support indigenous groups wanting to retain stands of rainforest on their territories in Amazonian Peru? Did you know that 100% of the funds raised go back into the project? Did you know that in tough times (as with covid) this project waded in to deliver food, supplies, and medicine to indigenous groups that were impacted by the loss of ecotourism? Did you know that this project offers professional opportunities to women in Iquitos as well as in indigenous villages? Did you know that the forests that we are fighting for are some of the most biodiverse on the planet? For those not familiar, biodiversity is technically all of the plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms present PLUS all of the interactions between and among them.

The direct fusion of art and conservation is at the heart of Project Selva. Using art that features biodiversity to save rainforest is another core ingredient. It’s been a long road but a rewarding one. Much gratitude to our partner institutions in Roger Williams Park Zoo, Moody Gardens, and Snake Farm.

PS - We are looking to grow! Think your institution might want to join us? Message me. Your institution can be any kind of business, not just a zoo or an aquarium. In fact, diversifying the kinds of institutions that support this project will add to its longevity, its strength, and its reach. We have an opportunity to expand and work with a number of additional indigenous groups and with communities of mixed ethnicity that manage large tracts of forest.

It’s time to fight for rainforests. Its time to fight for indigenous rights. Now is the time to fight and these are the right fights to have. Still a lot of great forest tracts out there. Still a lot of great indigenius cultures exist in the Amazon Basin. All is not lost. Let’s do this.”