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Strategic Planning Document -
Environment and Natural Resources
Research Successes
The Eagle Has Landed
In 1963, the total population of American
bald eagles had dwindled to an estimated 800
birds in the lower 48 states. Research identified
the primary cause as DDT and other forms of
organophosphates used in insecticides. Research
was begun to understand the ecological needs of
this species and to devise a methodology for
captive breeding and reintroduction. Today, the
population has risen to an estimated 8000 birds,
and on June 30, 1994, the American bald eagle
was removed from the list of animal species
hovering at the brink of extinction.
This delisting represented a pivotal success
for the eagle and the 1973 Endangered Species
Act. While the recovery of American bald eagle
population represents the cumulation of research
on one species, the lessons learned from these
studies translate into general principles that can
now be applied to understanding how to maintain
populations of many different species. Research
has lead to being able to remove other species
from the endangered species list including the
pacific grey whale, the peregrine falcon, the
grizzly bear, the eastern timber wolf, the
whooping crane, the Columbian white-tailed deer,
and the cutthroat trout.
Natural Wonder Opens Door to Biotechnology
One of the most significant discoveries of
the burgeoning field of biotechnology derives
from scientific understanding of a humble,
heat-resistant bacterium that occurs naturally
in the waters of the hot springs of Yellowstone
National Park. Basic biological research,
including systematic biology (which describes
different organisms and their relationships to one
another), led to the identification of the heat-
resistant bacterium Thermus aquaticus as a
possible source of a heat-resistant enzyme for use
in molecular biology research.
The 1993 Nobel Prize for Chemistry
honored the conception of the polymerase chain
reaction using this heat-resistant enzyme to make
it possible to multiply a minute amount of genetic
material millions of times within hours. This
technique has become fundamental to diagnostic
medicine, the human genome project, and
forensic medicine. The technique has also
contributed to the field of biotechnology, annually
generating billions of dollars in economic
activity. This is a premier example of the ability
to generate wealth from biodiversity at the level
of the molecule.
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