Allison Alberts

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Allison Christine Alberts is an American herpetologist and conservation biologist. She began her career at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in 1990 as a postdoctoral fellow, eventually serving as the zoo's Chief Conservation Officer and Benirschke Chair of Research from 2005 to 2020, the first woman in that role. [1] [2] She is known for her work with rock iguanas, Komodo dragons, sea turtles, desert tortoises, and native California lizards and snakes, [3] and she is the author of more than 100 scientific and popular articles and three books. [4]

Contents

Education

Alberts received her B.A. in biology from the University of California at Berkeley in 1982 and her Ph.D. from the University of California at San Diego in 1989. Her dissertation focused on chemical communication in the desert iguana, including the first demonstration of visual sensitivity to ultraviolet light in a reptile species. [5]

Career

Alberts began her career at the San Diego Zoo in 1990, working primarily with the highly endangered rock iguanas of the Caribbean. [6] She led a team that conducted a decade of research on the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, using the Cuban iguana as a model species. The work focused on headstarting, temporary alteration of social structure to enhance genetic diversity, and educational outreach to base residents. [7] [8] [9]

In 2005, Alberts was named Chief Conservation Officer and Benirschke Chair of Research for San Diego Zoo Global (now San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance). During her tenure, the research staff grew to 200 science professionals working in 38 countries. [2] Major initiatives included global species recovery programs, genetic banking, community-based conservation, and addressing wildlife trafficking and climate change. [10] [11] [12] Since retiring from the Zoo in 2020, Alberts has served as Senior Advisor for the strategic planning firm Ecoleaders. [13]

Service

Alberts is co-founder and past co-chair of the IUCN – World Conservation Union Species Survival Commission Iguana Specialist Group. [14] In 2015, she received the Athena Pinnacle Award for Excellence in recognition, promotion, and mentorship of women in the Life Sciences. Since 2018, Alberts has served on the advisory board of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. She also serves on the boards of the International Iguana Foundation, San Diego Natural History Museum, Center for Plant Conservation, and Turtle Survival Alliance.

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turks and Caicos rock iguana</span> Species of lizard

The Turks and Caicos rock iguana is a species of lizard endemic to the Turks and Caicos islands. This small iguana can reach 30 in (76 cm) and becomes mature at seven years and may live for twenty. A single clutch of up to nine eggs is laid each year, and these take three months to hatch. This iguana is mostly herbivorous, but supplements this by adding some animal matter to its diet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser Antillean iguana</span> Species of reptile

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue iguana</span> Species of reptile

The blue iguana, also known as the Grand Cayman ground iguana, Grand Cayman blue iguana or Cayman Island rock iguana, is an endangered species of lizard which is endemic to the island of Grand Cayman. It was previously considered to be a subspecies of the Cuban iguana, Cyclura nubila, but in a 2004 article Frederic J. Burton reclassified it as a separate species because according to him the genetic differences discovered four years earlier between the different C. nubila populations warranted this interpretation. The blue iguana is one of the longest-living species of lizard.

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The Mona ground iguana is a critically endangered species of rock iguana, endemic to Mona Island, Puerto Rico. It is one of the island nation's few large land animals, and it is the largest endemic terrestrial lizard in the country, and one of the biggest rock iguanas within the Antilles. It was previously considered a subspecies of the rhinoceros iguana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamaican iguana</span> Species of lizard

The Jamaican iguana, also known commonly as Colley's iguana, is a large species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. The species is endemic to Jamaica. It is critically endangered, even considered extinct between 1948 and 1990. Once found throughout Jamaica and on the offshore islets Great Goat Island and Little Goat Island, it is now confined to the forests of the Hellshire Hills.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhinoceros iguana</span> Species of iguana endemic to the Caribbean

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<i>Cyclura nubila</i> Species of reptile

The Cuban rock iguana, also known as the Cuban ground iguana or Cuban iguana, is a species of lizard of the iguana family. It is the second largest of the West Indian rock iguanas, one of the most endangered groups of lizards. A herbivorous species with a thick tail and spiked jowls, it is one of the largest lizards in the Caribbean.

<i>Cyclura ricordii</i> Species of iguana endemic to Hispaniola

Cyclura ricordii, also known as Ricord's ground iguana or Ricord's rock iguana, is an endangered species of medium-sized rock iguana, a large herbivorous lizard. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola. It is known to coexist with the nominate subspecies of the rhinoceros iguana ; the two species are the only taxa of rock iguana to do so. The natural habitats of its three subpopulations are hot, dry, wooded savanna on limestone with access to soil and sandy flats in southern Hispaniola. It is threatened by predation by introduced predators and habitat loss, due to overgrazing and charcoal manufacture.

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Cyclura carinata bartschi, commonly known as Bartsch's iguana or the Booby Cay iguana, is a subspecies of lizard in the family Iguanidae. The subspecies is endemic to a single cay, Booby Cay, in The Bahamas.

<i>Cyclura nubila caymanensis</i> Subspecies of lizard

Cyclura nubila caymanensis, the Lesser Caymans iguana, Cayman Brac iguana, Cayman Island brown iguana or Sister Isles iguana, is a critically endangered subspecies of the Cuban iguana. It is native to two islands to the south of Cuba: Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are also known as the Sister Isles due to their similar shapes and close proximity to each other. The population of this subspecies has been impacted by habitat encroachment by human development and is likely being destroyed due to predation by cats, the population on Cayman Brac has remained particularly small for decades.

<i>Ctenosaura similis</i> Black iguana, native to central America

Ctenosaura similis, commonly known as the black iguana or black spiny-tailed iguana, is an iguanid lizard native to Mexico and Central America. It has been reported in some Colombian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, and has been introduced to the United States in the state of Florida. The largest species in the genus Ctenosaura, it is commonly found in areas such as grasslands and forests.

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<i>Cyclura</i> Genus of lizards

Cyclura is a genus of lizards in the family Iguanidae. Member species of this genus are commonly known as "cycluras" and only occur on islands in the West Indies. Rock iguanas have a high degree of endemism, with a single species or subspecies originating on an individual island.

<i>Cyclura pinguis</i> Species of reptile

Cyclura pinguis, the Anegada rock iguana, Anegada ground iguana or stout iguana, is a critically endangered species of lizard of the genus Cyclura belonging to the family Iguanidae. The species can be found exclusively in the islands of Anegada and Guana. Historically, it inhabited the islands of Puerto Rico and Saint Thomas; however, the animal's original range has been greatly diminished over prehistory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gau iguana</span> Species of lizard

The Gau iguana is a species of iguana endemic to Gau Island in the Fijian archipelago. It mostly lives in the well-preserved upland forests of the island, with smaller populations in the degraded coastal forests. It can be distinguished from other South Pacific iguanas by the male's distinctive color pattern and solid green throat. It is also the smallest of all South Pacific iguanas, being about 13% smaller than the third smallest species and 40% smaller than the largest extant species.

References

  1. ↑ "Zoo names new director of conservation and research". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2005-12-24. Archived from the original on 2024-10-27.
  2. 1 2 Mascarelli, Amanda (2013-06-12). "Ecology: Conservation in captivity". Nature. 498 (7453): 261–263. doi:10.1038/nj7453-261a. ISSN   1476-4687. PMID   23776941.
  3. ↑ Murphy, James (2021-06-01). "Dedication to a Highly Productive Zoo Conservation Biologist and Herpetologist Who Serves as a Wonderful Model for all Persons in Our Profession – Allison C. Alberts, Ph.D." (PDF). Herpetological Review PDFs - Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  4. ↑ "Allison Alberts". Google Scholar. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  5. ↑ Cherfas, Jeremy (1989-07-22). "Ultraviolet vision brings lizard up to the mark". New Scientist. Archived from the original on 2016-04-13.
  6. ↑ Grant, Tandora (2001-12-01). "Allison Alberts: A Consumate Conservationst". Iguana. 10 (4): 142–144.
  7. ↑ Perry, Tony (1995-09-05). "San Diego Zoo Comes to Aid of Embattled Iguana". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2024-10-07.
  8. ↑ Randerson, James (2002-02-23). "No sex for you, we're trying to save the species". New Scientist. Archived from the original on 2016-04-13.
  9. ↑ Houlihan, Bob (2021-08-01). "It Isn't Easy Being Green" (PDF). All Hands: Magazine of the U.S. Navy, pp. 28-35. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-10-07.
  10. ↑ "The San Diego Zoo after 100 years". San Diego History Center | San Diego, CA | Our City, Our Story. Archived from the original on 2017-06-16. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  11. ↑ IUCN (2022-08-26). "San Diego Zoo Global | IUCN US National Committee". Archived from the original on 2024-10-07.
  12. ↑ "San Diego Zoo Global Institute for Conservation Research: Saving Species Worldwide" (PDF). science.sandiegozoo.org. 2024-10-30. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-03-09.
  13. ↑ "Our Network: Allison Alberts, Senior Advisor". ecoleaders.net. Archived from the original on 2024-10-08.
  14. ↑ Derr, Mark (2000-10-10). "In Caribbean, Endangered Iguanas Get Their Day". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2012-11-13.
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