 The Yellowstone Thermophiles Conservation Project Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution in Yellowstone National Park The 125th Anniversary of Yellowstone's founding as America's - and the world's - first National Park provides a special opportunity to initiate activities that will inspire renewed and expanded public appreciation for the value of National Parks and the biodiversity they protect.  The Yellowstone Thermophiles Conservation Project is dedicated to this purpose. The Project is being coordinated by WFED in cooperation with Yellowstone National Park (YNP), and the National Park Foundation (NPF).  Project Background Information
 "Biodiversity and Bioprospecting in the National Parks: The Yellowstone Experience" (A Briefing Paper) View / Download the Briefing Paper in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format (78kB)Landmark Bioprospecting Agreement signed between Yellowstone and Diversa (Press Kit contents from August 17, 1997) WFED recognized as Protector of Yellowstone at 125th Anniversary Celebrations at the Park
A future-oriented initiative for the world's first national park In the mid-1960's, Dr. Thomas Brock, a research scientist from the University of Wisconsin, made a startling discovery while working at Yellowstone National Park - the existence of previously unkown life forms at very high temperatures in the park's protected thermal environments. Although some 19th-century explorers recognized that the colorful deposits surrounding many thermal feattures at Yellowstone might suggest the presence of microscopic life, Dr. Brock's discovery of new life forms in waters too hot to touch suggested that the diversity of life protected by the park - but still unexplored - is far greater than anyone previously imagined.
Yellowstone's 10,000 thermal features, including hot springs, geysers and fumaroles, provide a rare habitat for many forms of microscopic life only recently discovered - life too small to see, but reflecting biological diversity that rivals the tropical rainforests, and thriving in habitats once thought too extreme to support life. Significantly research conducted on these heat-loving microorganisms - or, 'thermophiles' - is yielding economic and scientific benefits that can strengthen biological resource conservation efforts at Yellowstone and other national parks and conservation areas across America. Through the negotiation of equitable, efficient 'benefits-sharing' arrangements with the research community and private industry, the Yellowstone Thermophiles Conservation Project will generate environmental, scientific, economic, educational and institutional dividends that will be reinvested for the future protection of Yellowstone's biological resources. 
While 19th-century explorers were amazed by the rich diversity of megafauna such as bear, elk and bison found at Yellowstone, the recent and ongoing discovery of new life forms in Yellowstone's hot springs has sparked a renaissance of scientific interest at the park. Recent research activities at Yellowstone suggest that fewer than 2 percent of the microorganisms living in the park's 10,000 thermal features have been identified. NASA research at Yellowstone suggests that the park's thermal environments offer some of the world's best preserved 'windows' on the origin of life on Earth as well as clues about the possibilty of life elsewhere in the universe.
Other valuable applications of research involving Yellowstone thermophiles have been applied in the manufacture of antibiotics, plastics, detergents and fermentation products that have generated very valuable benefits. Still other thermophiles offer environmentally-friendly solutions such as oil spill remediation, the breakdown of paints, the conversion of corn to ethanol, and the removal of sulfur from coal. The total global market value of products resulting from microbial research is growing rapidly and, although estimates vary, is thought to be in excess of $15 billion annually. 'BIOPROSPECTING' The search for valuable chemial and genetic compunds in nature- coupled with the spectacular discoveries associated with Thermus aquaticus and other heat-loving microorganisms first found at Yellowstone - is generating new opportunities for Yellowstone to benefit from valuable research results. The rich diversity of previously unknown life forms now being discovered at Yellowstone presents exciting new oppportunities to encourage scientific exploration in ways that will rebound benefits to Yellowstone for the conservation of its unique habitats for all time. While conservation focused 'bioprospecting' agreements have been pioneered in several tropical countries that are known for their abundant biodiversity, Yellowstone is now developing similar benefits-sharing arrangements for the conservation of the biodiversity protected and maintained in U.S. National Parks. Through cooperative research and development agreements negotiated with research firms, Yellowstone will benefit from the economic and scientific dividends generated from research activities involving thermophiles sampled in the park. By linking the scientific and economic incentives associated with research activities and new incentives for conserving the Parks's rich biological diversity, Yellowstone will strengthen research that benefits the park for sustainable resource conservation for the future. RESTORING A SENSE Through partnerships that encourage scientific exploration in ways that will capture benefits for Yellowstone and the conservation of its unique habitats, the Yellowstone Thermophiles Conservation Project will explore important biodiversity management practices that can be adapted to the particular needs and circumstances of other parks and conservation areas nationwide. It also is anticipated that benefits flowing from the Project will inspire renewed public appreciation for the valuable contributions of national parks and the biodiversity they protect to the quality of our national life. The Yellowstone Thermophiles Conservation Project will focus on three core areas of activity intended to generate support for increased conservation-related practices at the Park: microbial diversity conservation, scientific research and public outreach and education.
Project activities will be designed to strengthen in-situ thermal habitiat conservation efforts as well as in situ thermal habitat conservation efforts as well as ex-situ Yellowstone microbial culture collection development and maintenance. The Project will also explore development of an integrated database that includes habitat, geographical, biological, and other key scientific information to benefit park conservation and thermophile management practices.
The Project will place special emphasis on improving public awareness and appreciation of the value of national parks and the biodiversity they project through publications, pamphlets, videos, presentations and media education, and in-the-field workshops and excursions. |
| Home | Projects | Top |
Valuable applications of research results on microorganisms first discovered at Yellowstone also are contributing to accelerating biotechnological interest in the park's thermophilic biological resources. Biotech applicatioins resulting from research involving Thermus aquaticus have led medical science to diagnostic tests for HIV while also revolutionizing forensics through DNA fingerprinting. 
The Project will encourage scientific research activities aimed at improving understanding about the origins and patterns of microbial biodiversity at Yellowstone through expanded study of the park's thermal habitats and promotion of activities to discover and characterize new microbial forms, biochemical compounds, evolutionary branches and habitats.