Arctic animal populations are rapidly declining. Scientists at the Smithsonian’s Arctic Studies Center are working with indigenous observers and partner organizations around the circumpolar Arctic to explore why, and whether climate, habitat or human factors like overhunting practices may be contributing to these crashes. We work hand-in-hand with Yakutat Tlingit Tribe members to record indigenous knowledge, discover archeological sites, and preserve cultural heritage.

Alaska is one of the few remaining places on Earth where sustainable management of salmon is possible, even in the face of wide-ranging threats including overharvesting and climate change. In the Kenai Lowlands region of southern Alaska, most of the landscape and watersheds are currently intact and connected, supporting abundant salmon populations. Research shows the important ecological relationships between elements of the landscape like local plants and how many young salmon thrive.

Smithsonian marine biologist Dr. Mary Hagedorn is leading a global network of scientists in one of the most unique ocean-conservation programs in the world today. The Reef Recovery Initiative focuses on cryopreservation of marine species. Although conservation practices, such as marine protected areas, may help reduce the loss of genetic diversity on reefs, they are not enough! The global effects of climate change will continue to erode reefs worldwide, causing a continued decline in diveristy.

When Smithsonian paleobotanist Carlos Jaramillo learned that expansion of the Panama Canal in 2006 would involve blasting away 100 million tons of rock, he saw a unique opportunity to study the geology and fossils of this important bridge between two continents. Carlos and a team of researchers from the U.S., Colombia and Panama used a number of geological techniques and fossil collecting on a massive scale to explore how the Isthmus of Panama was formed.

Off the coast of Curacao in the southern Caribbean, Carole Baldwin, a marine biologist specializing in tropical-marine and deep-sea fishes, and her team of almost 40 Smithsonian researchers are uncovering a new world of biodiversity that science has largely missed. Using a manned submersible, they have discovered at least 50 new fish species in an area of only around 0.2 square kilometers. They carefully monitor biological and environmental conditions over time to track climate change impacts.

The thousands of individuals behind the Smithsonian’s international projects are scientists, educators, curators, technology specialists, and experts of many kind. Our projects foster international collaboration, whether helping to save endangered species, improving museum design, or rescuing and restoring priceless art. Thank you for learning how our people make a meaningful difference in the world. To dive deeper, please visit our website.