KEEP RECOVERY
POSSIBLE.

PRESERVE asks whether what humanity has saved is actually sufficient to recover a species or biological system—not merely whether a sample exists.

CORE QUESTION

IF WE NEEDED TO RECOVER THIS SPECIES, WHAT WOULD WE ACTUALLY NEED?

A reference genome may be useful but insufficient. Frozen tissue may be useful but insufficient. Seeds may be useful but insufficient.

Recovery can depend on genetic diversity, viable reproductive material, symbionts, microbiomes, hosts, developmental biology, husbandry knowledge, geographic provenance, habitat, protocols, and legal access.

PRESERVE / SYSTEM CONTEXT

WHAT WE SAVE MUST STILL BELONG TO A RECOVERABLE SYSTEM.

MEDIA / NASA Scientific Visualization Studio

RECOVERY-READINESS AUDIT

GENETIC DIVERSITY

VIABLE CELLS / TISSUES

GERM CELLS / EMBRYOS

SEEDS / SPORES

SYMBIONTS / MICROBIOME

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

HUSBANDRY

ECOLOGICAL DEPENDENCIES

GEOGRAPHIC PROVENANCE

RECOVERY PROTOCOLS

LEGAL ACCESS

HABITAT FEASIBILITY

OPERATING PRINCIPLE

PRESERVATION IS ONLY COMPLETE WHEN IT RETAINS A CREDIBLE PATH BACK TO LIVING FUNCTION.

VIEW PRESERVE RESEARCH →

KEEP RECOVERYPOSSIBLE.

IF WE NEEDED TO RECOVER THIS SPECIES, WHAT WOULD WE ACTUALLY NEED?

WHAT WE SAVE MUST STILL BELONG TO A RECOVERABLE SYSTEM.

PRESERVATION IS ONLY COMPLETE WHEN IT RETAINS A CREDIBLE PATH BACK TO LIVING FUNCTION.

KEEP RECOVERY
POSSIBLE.