OU SHAED FUTUE:

ESEACH HIGHLIGHTS

JANUAY2024

The following stories highlight Smithsonian research that has helped to shape and champion our 

strategic pan-Institutional initiatives, notably Life on a Sustainable Planet, from research 

focused In the Ocean to Across the Universe. These highlights also show the collaborative nature 

of the Institution’s research and educational outreach not only across Smithsonian units but in 

connection with leading universities and national and international research organizations aimed 

at mitigating climate change and other human impacts on nature. 
SMITHSONIAN AT COP28 IN DUBAI

In December 2023, the Smithsonian sent a delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on 

Climate Change’s Conference of the Parties for the second time. Smithsonian Under Secretary for Science and 

Research, Ellen Stofan, led a group of scientists and educators to COP28 in Dubai, reflecting the Institution’s 

ongoing commitment to “Our Shared Future.” Dedicated to fostering harmony between humanity and nature, 

the Smithsonian partners with local communities worldwide to deepen the collective understanding of and 

advocate for nature-based solutions to enhance Earth’s sustainability. Having established the Our Shared 

Future: Life on a Sustainable Planet goal at the previous year’s COP, in 2024, the Institution will focus on 

broadening and deepening its scientific partnerships and continuing to develop excellent data to inform 

climate action. 

The Smithsonian featured several pivotal advances it is taking in the Life on a Sustainable Planet Initiative: 

• Celebrating a year of progress, the Smithsonian will steward $20 million in resources for “Ecosystems 

on the Edge” with Life on a Sustainable Planet: In the Ocean. 

Pictured: Holly Glover (Smithsonian Science Education Center, SSEC); Josh Tewskbury (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, 

STRI); Ellen Stofan (Under Secretary for Science and Research); Ana Spalding (STRI); Carol O’Donnell (SSEC); Steve Canty 

(Smithsonian Environmental Research Center); Stuart Davies (ForestGEO); and Britta Garfield (Office of International Relations).
• Previewing Ocean! — the Smithsonian will publish a forthcoming new community research guide from 

the Smithsonian Science for Global Goals project for students aged 11 to 18, to be released February 

2024. 

• Advancing Climate Research and Education, the Smithsonian will launch the Adrienne Arsht 

CommunityBased Resilience Solutions Initiative with $10 million support from business leader and 

philanthropist Adrienne Arsht; 

• Launching GEO-TREES, the Smithsonian will launch the first international consortium to ensure the 

accuracy of satellite monitoring of forest biomass, seeded by a $12 million grant from the Bezos Earth 

Fund. 

These efforts are firmly rooted in a dedication to fostering the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants, 

preserving biodiversity, and promoting environmental equity. Learn more about Our Shared Future: Life on a 

Sustainable Planet at the newly updated website: science.si.edu

STABILITY FOR THE SCIMITAR-HORNED ORYX

The Scimitar-horned oryx is a culturally and ecologically significant species across North Africa and Arabia. This 

desert antelope was driven to extinction in the 1980s by hunting and competition with domestic livestock. 

Though Extinct in the Wild, the species remained in existence in captivity, with over 220 zoological institutions 

involved in a global captive breeding program including the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

where in 2021, two Scimitar-Horned Oryx Calves were born via non-surgical artificial insemination. 

This landmark international effort sparked a conservation renaissance for the oryx. Following more than 240 

successful reintroductions, the wild population saw a resurgence. In a historic move in December 2023, the 

International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) down-listed the species from “Extinct in the Wild” 

to “Endangered”–a testament to the conservation triumph. Now, over 600 oryx roam Chad’s expansive Ouadi 

Rimé-Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve, a sanctuary exceeding 78,000 square kilometers.
Scientists from the National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute track these reintroduced oryx 

using satellite collars, gathering invaluable data on their movements and survival rates. These GPS-enabled 

collars are pivotal for on-ground monitoring and radio telemetry, offering insights into the oryx’s adaptation 

and informing ongoing management and conservation strategies. 

SMITHSONIAN AND NOAA HOST SUMMIT ON OCEAN BIODIVERSITY

On January 23 in Washington, D.C., leaders and experts from across the nation will participate in the Summit 

on Ocean Biodiversity to amplify the importance of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes biodiversity. Participants 

will discuss solutions to protect and sustain the nation’s natural resources for the benefit of all Americans. 

The summit, organized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Smithsonian 

Institution, features leaders in science, policy, philanthropy, industry, tribal communities, and conservation 

who will share their insights to advancing our understanding of ocean biodiversity. Their insights will foster 

collaborative action to conserve, restore, and sustainably use the ocean’s living resources.

Earth’s diverse life is the foundation of human health, prosperity and security. Solving the intertwined 

challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, and societal inequity will only succeed when leaders recognize 

and act on these linkages. Starting at the grass roots level and stretching across all sectors, today’s leaders 

must align their needs and efforts and make commitments towards sustaining a biodiverse planet. 

Monk seal swimming over a coral reef bottom in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. (Image credit: NOAA)
The Summit on Ocean Biodiversity will feature panel discussions focused on the intersection of ocean 

biodiversity with climate change, technology, and finance, and will challenge ocean leaders to coordinate 

ideas, efforts, and investments to advance a sustainable ocean ecosystem that supports thriving human 

communities. 

The summit will explore three themes through panel conversations with a diverse group of leaders:

• Biodiversity and Communities at the Frontlines of Climate Change

• Valuing Biodiversity for Conservation and the Blue Economy

• Exploration and Innovation to Sustain Ocean Biodiversity

The Summit on Ocean Biodiversity amplifies a research paper published in January, New framework reveals 

gaps in U.S. ocean biodiversity protection, published online and open-access in One Earth, reporting the first 

quantitative assessment of biodiversity in and outside of Marine Protected Areas across the U.S. Exclusive 

Economic Zone. The paper resulted from a collaboration among biodiversity scientists and conservation 

planners from several countries. It is intended to inform U.S. efforts toward the 30 x 30 goal, and the 

developing national ocean biodiversity strategy.

MarineGEO was the primary co-sponsor of the Summit, with participation from the National Museum of 

Natural History and Ellen Stofan, the Under Secretary for Science and Research. The complete agenda can be 

found online, and a recorded video is available via the Earth Optimism YouTube channel. 

NEW FELLOWSHIPS AWARDED IN SUPPORT OF LIFE ON A SUSTAINABLE PLANET 

As part of the Our Shared Future: Life on a Sustainable Planet initiative, the Smithsonian expanded upon the 

in-residence fellowship programs: the Smithsonian Climate Change Postdoctoral Fellowship, Smithsonian 

Environmental Justice Fellowship, and the Resilience and Sustainability Science Postdoctoral Fellowship. 

Selections were made in December to support a cohort of 13 new fellows for a period of two years. With 

advisors from the Anacostia Community Museum, National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, 

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the proposed 

independent research projects range from How can efforts to meet country-level global biodiversity 

commitments support resilience in coastal fishing communities? to Modelling trait-based effects of chronic and 

acute thermal exposure on coral assemblages and reef functioning. 

In addition to their work focused on Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Resilience and Sustainability, 

the Fellows will form a cohort that will participate in hybrid training related to leadership skill development, 

science communication, policy engagement, effective transdisciplinary research techniques, and inclusive 

approaches to research and equitable outcomes. This cohort-based training will support fellows in connecting 

their research to action. 
DISTANT STARS SPOTTED FOR THE 1ST TIME IN VAST MAGELLANIC STREAM

For nearly 50 years, astronomers have come up empty-handed in their search for stars within the sprawling 

structure known as the Magellanic Stream. A colossal ribbon of gas, the Magellanic Stream spans nearly 300 

Moon diameters across the Southern Hemisphere’s sky, trailing behind the Magellanic Cloud galaxies, two of 

our Milky Way Galaxy’s closest cosmic neighbors.

Now the star search is finally over. Researchers at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) 

and colleagues have identified 13 stars whose distances, motion, and chemical makeup place the stars 

squarely within the enigmatic stream.

Locating these stars has now pinned down the true distance to the Magellanic Stream, revealing that it 

extends from 150,000 light-years to more than 400,000 light-years away. The findings pave the way to map 

and model the Magellanic Stream in unprecedented detail, offering new insights into the history and 

characteristics of our Galaxy and its neighbors.

"The Magellanic Stream dominates the Southern Hemisphere's sky and our work has at last found a stellar 

structure that people have sought for decades," says Vedant Chandra, a PhD student in Astronomy & 

Astrophysics at the CfA and lead author of a new study published in The Astrophysical Journal reporting the 

findings.

Image Credit: CfA/Melissa Weiss
"With these results and more like them, we hope to gain a far greater understanding of the formation of the 

Magellanic Stream and the Magellanic Clouds, as well as their past and future interactions with our Galaxy," 

said co-author Charlie Conroy, a Professor of Astronomy at the CfA and Chandra’s advisor.

Further studies of the Magellanic Stream should also help astronomers learn more about the composition of 

our Galaxy. Because the Stream is thought to trace the past paths of the Magellanic Clouds, modeling the 

evolution of the relatively massive Large Magellanic Cloud via the Stream will improve measurements of the 

Milky Way’s mass distribution. Much of that mass is in the form of dark matter—a poorly understood, gravityexerting substance. Better gauging the mass of our Galaxy out in its distant hinterlands will aid in accounting 

for ordinary matter versus dark matter contents, constraining the possible properties of the latter.