Despite the challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic, the California Academy of Sciences says its researchers have been able to identify more than 200 new plant and animal species in 2020.
Dr. Rich Mooi, Curator of Invertebrate Zoology and Geology, says in a normal year, a lot of their work takes place in the field. But travel restrictions and public health orders have stifled that.
“The amazing thing is that scientists that are working at the Academy are really devoted to their work and so the research doesn’t stop. They’re finding new ways to do this work even though they’re working at home.”
Scientists at the Academy identified 213 new species this year from across five continents and three oceans; everything from frogs to fish to snakes to coral to crickets and even an ancient species of scallop that was identified from a fossil in the Academy’s collection.
“All kinds of organisms from all around the planet,” said Dr. Mooi. “So we’re talking about South America, we’re talking about Africa, we’re talking about North America, of course, the Philippines.”
He says each new species serves as an important reminder of humanity’s vital role in protecting the planet’s ecosystems and brings us closer to nature.
“They teach us that the natural world finds solutions to a lot of different problems, if we give them a chance.”