President and CEO’s Letter

JOURNAL

MANAGING EDITOR Debra Erickson SENIOR EDITOR Peggy Scott

STAFF WRITERS

Donna Parham Abigail Karkenny Elyan Shor, Ph.D. Ebone Monet COPY EDITOR Eston Ellis DESIGNER Andy Barba

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ken Bohn Tammy Spratt

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

Kim Turner Lisa Bissi Jennifer MacEwen PREPRESS AND PRINTING Quad Graphics

Let's Stay Connected

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The Zoological Society of San Diego was founded in October 1916 by Harry M. Wegeforth, M.D., as a private, nonprofit corporation, which does business as San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. The printed San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Journal (ISSN 2767-7680) (Vol. 2, No. 1) is published bimonthly, in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Publisher is San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, located at 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 92101-1646. Periodicals postage paid at San Diego, California, USA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, P.O. Box 120271, San Diego, CA 92112-0271.

Copyright© 2022 San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved. All column and program titles are trademarks of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. If your mailing address has changed: Please contact the Membership Department; by mail at P.O. Box 120271, San Diego, CA 92112, or by phone at 619-231-0251 or 1-877-3MEMBER.

For information about becoming a member of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, please visit our website at ZooMember.org for a complete list of membership levels, offers, and benefits. Subscriptions to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Journal are $25 per year, $65 for 3 years. Foreign, including Canada and Mexico, $30 per year, $81 for 3 years. Contact Membership Department for subscription information.

As part of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s commitment to conservation, this magazine is printed on recycled paper that is at least 10% post-consumer waste, chlorine free, and is Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified. FSC® is not responsible for any calculations on saving resources by choosing this paper.

Diving into Oceans

As home to more than one-quarter million known species— and possibly two million more yet to be identified—it’s hard to overstate the importance of the Earth’s oceans. While they may feel like another world, oceans are closely interconnected to every corner of our planet, affecting the health of wildlife and people globally. In this issue, we will wade into some of the challenges facing the marine plants, invertebrates, fish, birds, and mammals that rely on each other in this complex undersea web, and we’ll take a look at several important projects that might hold some of the solutions. One species that we work collaboratively to protect is the polar bear, which depends on not only a healthy ocean, but also sufficient sea ice in order to survive. Starting on page 10, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Ian Ingram, M.S., Population Sustainability Senior Researcher; and Megan Owen, Ph.D., Vice President of Wildlife Conservation Science and Endowed Benirschke Chair; give us a detailed account of the impact habitat fragmentation, humanwildlife conflict, and a changing climate have had on this iconic species. Another serious threat to ocean health is plastic pollution, and in this issue’s Hot Topics department, science writer Elyan Shor, Ph.D., explores not only the complexity of the issue, but also ways we can all help to turn the tide. And while penguins and least terns are quite different birds, they share the ever-growing challenges faced by all seabirds. Beginning on page 18, Ignacio Vilchis, Ph.D., Associate Director of Recovery Ecology for SDZWA, compares and contrasts the situations being faced by these winged water lovers, and offers hope for their future—and ours. Thank you for joining us as we examine one of the most critically important features of our shared planet, essential for all life to thrive. And we look forward to connecting with you on your next visit to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park as we continue to share the story of our work with our extended family of donors, members, and guests who all make this work possible. Onward Together,

Paul A. Baribault President and Chief Executive Officer