Press Center

Browse the latest news from the Academy’s Press Office.

Latest Releases

Three friends smile for the camera in a dark room with a neon NightLife sign behind them
California Academy of Sciences kicks off Black History Month with NightLife “Black Thursday” event, February 6

Featuring live performances, interactive experiences, a Black-owned business marketplace, soul food, & cocktails

A woman and man look at an exhibition of deep sea dive gear.
Updated Twilight Zone: Deep Reefs Revealed exhibit now open at California Academy of Sciences

Featuring touchable coral models, interactive projections and audio, and stunning fluorescent creatures.

Chromis damselfish from the Maldives.
California Academy of Sciences Describes 138 New Species in 2024

More than a dozen Academy scientists—along with several international collaborators—described the new additions.

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Mark Ruffo, headshot
California Academy of Sciences Announces New Chief Advancement Officer

Mark Ruffo brings more than 20 years of experience in fundraising, operations, advocacy, and marketing.

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All Releases

Olivia Van Damme lays atop a tidepooling rock and uses her phone to photograph a species for city nature challenge.
Programs & Events, Science & Sustainability
Coastal bioblitz ‘Snapshot Cal Coast’ to provide a living account of sea life on California’s epic coastline
May 30, 2024

Snapshot Cal Coast encourages people from Del Norte to San Diego to connect with nature and explore the outdoors

The California: State of Nature exhibit opens at the California Academy of Sciences on May 24, 2024.
Building, Exhibits, Programs & Events
New Academy Exhibition "California: State of Nature" Brings the State’s Forests, Coasts, Deserts, and Cities to Life
May 16, 2024

Explore the the unexpected connections between the species, places, and people that enable California to thrive.

Three people stand/crouch at a tidepool in california during city nature challenge, in which they use iphones to take pictures of flora and fauna for inaturalist.
Science & Sustainability
California Academy of Sciences Receives $3 million Grant for Biodiversity and Community Science from Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
May 9, 2024

The grant will help communities, researchers, and the government work together on state conservation efforts.

Great blue heron by the Golden Gate Bridge.
Programs & Events, Science & Sustainability
City Nature Challenge records 2.4 million wildlife observations from more than 83,000 participants in a single weekend
May 6, 2024

Data from community scientists informs species conservation, enhances understanding of global biodiversity.

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Jack Dumbacher stands against a sunlit cluster of trees near Caples Creek, wearing a striped button down shirt and a wide brimmed hat.

Since 2003, Jack Dumbacher has served as the Academy's curator of ornithology and mammalogy, using both fieldwork and collections to advance research on birds worldwide. Gayle Laird © California Academy of Sciences

Leadership, Science & Sustainability
Ornithologist Jack Dumbacher Named a Patterson Scholar at California Academy of Sciences
May 2, 2024

The curator of birds and mammals is recognized for his collaborative research on biodiversity and conservation.

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A dead gray whale rests on a beach on Angel Island with the ocean right behind it, Golden Gate Bridge and a tugboat visible in the background.

The deceased gray whale rests on Angel Island as researchers prepare for a necropsy. Photo courtesy Barbie Halaska, Marine Mammal Center

Science & Sustainability
Vessel Strike is Likely Cause of Death for Gray Whale Near Alameda
April 30, 2024

The whale’s death is the first in the San Francisco Bay Area since the end of the Unusual Mortality Event.

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National Park Service conservator Fran Ritchie prepares Monarch, one of California's last grizzly bears, for the new exhibit California: State of Nature opening May 24 at the California Academy of Sciences.

National Park Service conservator Fran Ritchie prepares Monarch, one of California's last grizzly bears, for the new exhibit California: State of Nature opening May 24 at the California Academy of Sciences. Gayle Laird © California Academy of Sciences

Exhibits
California Fish and Game Commission Recognizes 100-year Anniversary of Last Grizzly Bear in the State
April 19, 2024

Statement by Paige Laduzinsky, senior exhibit content developer, California Academy of Sciences.

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Composite image of ryan wyatt, left, and peter roopnarine, right, both standing with arms folded and smiling.

Planetarium Director Ryan Wyatt (left) and Geologist Peter Roopnarine (right) were honored by AAAS for their scientific achievements across disciplines. Kathryn Whitney © 2019 California Academy of Sciences

Leadership
Academy Curator Peter Roopnarine and Planetarium Director Ryan Wyatt Elected Fellows of American Association for the Advancement of Science
April 18, 2024

Roopnarine and Wyatt are honored for their contributions to scientific research, advocacy, and education.

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