News
Dialogues, collaborations, and the success of 'slow science'
June 15, 2021
With funding from the Henry Luce Foundation, the new Southeast Asian Coastal Interactions Initiative takes a methodical approach to worldwide social and environmental challenges
Snowflake morays can feed on land, swallow prey without water
June 7, 2021
While most fish need water to feed, the unique anatomy of moray eels gives snowflake morays the ability to grab and swallow prey on land.
Biologist Roxanne Beltran wins funding from Beckman Young Investigator Program
June 3, 2021
New project aims to provide the first large-scale recordings of sound in the open ocean, using elephant seals as a platform for a novel acoustic recorder.
Social Sciences Division celebrates outstanding students
June 2, 2021
The Social Sciences Division is recognizing 21 students for excellence in scholarship and research.
Professor Karen Holl wins MacArthur Foundation endowed chair to support work on natural climate solutions
May 28, 2021
Environmental Studies Professor Karen Holl has been awarded the MacArthur Foundation Chair at UC Santa Cruz for her work to increase the effectiveness of forest restoration efforts in combating climate change.
Growing heritage and healing through traditional Asian vegetables
May 25, 2021
Faculty, staff, and alumni are drawing upon and strengthening their cultural heritage and connection to Asian foodways to cultivate traditional vegetables.
Found in translation
May 20, 2021
Marine scientist Stacy Jupiter, the 2020 Alumni Achievement Award winner, translates science and analysis in ways that inspire people to change behaviors.
Study shows which North American mammals live most successfully alongside people
May 20, 2021
Researchers analyzed camera trap data from across the continent to better understand how particular species of mammals respond to different types of human disturbance.
Missing the middle: the importance of regional-scale field research
May 19, 2021
Regional-scale research networks such as the UC Natural Reserve System are ideal for documenting the impact of climate change on plants and animals.
Ancient horse DNA reveals gene flow between Eurasian and North American horses
May 18, 2021
New findings show connections between the ancient horse populations in North America, where horses evolved, and Eurasia, where they were domesticated.
Climate change sends tropical species racing to higher elevations while temperate counterparts lag behind
May 17, 2021
A new paper shows that, in mountain habitats, species' responses to rising temperatures vary by latitude, but researchers fear there may be no clear winners among these strategies.
'The only way society gets to reopen safely is if we are all vaccinated'
May 6, 2021
UC Santa Cruz COVID experts Rebecca DuBois, A. Marm Kilpatrick, and Susan Carpenter are urging all unvaccinated people to book an appointment to get their shots immediately, and follow CDC safety guidelines even after the vaccinations take effect.
Long-term monitoring shows successful restoration of mining-polluted streams
May 4, 2021
Despite differences in aquatic life and toxic metals in streams across a broad region of the western United States, scientists found common responses to cleanup of acid mine drainage.
Project to read genomes of all 70,000 vertebrate species reports first discoveries
April 29, 2021
A bold project to read the complete genetic sequences of every known vertebrate species has reached its first milestone, publishing new methods and the first 25 high-quality genomes.
Physical and Biological Sciences Division honors three prominent alumni
April 28, 2021
PBSci Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize contributions to society by graduate and undergraduate alums.
William Doyle, founding director of UCSC’s Institute of Marine Sciences, dies at 91
April 28, 2021
William T. Doyle, professor emeritus of biology and founding director of the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) at UC Santa Cruz, died peacefully at his home in Santa Cruz on April 21. He was 91.
Three UCSC professors elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
April 23, 2021
Angela Davis, distinguished professor emerita of history of consciousness and feminist studies; James Estes, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology; and Barbara Rogoff, distinguished professor of psychology, are among the newly elected fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Researchers rescue endangered black abalone buried by debris flows
April 23, 2021
Massive quantities of sediment washed onto the Big Sur coast from the Dolan Fire burn scar, burying black abalone in their rocky intertidal habitat.
Professor Anne Kapuscinski will speak at upcoming Nobel Prize Summit
April 23, 2021
Environmental Studies Professor Anne Kapuscinski, director of the UC Santa Cruz Coastal Science and Policy program, will present recommendations on strengthening sustainability education during the “Our Planet, Our Future” Nobel Prize Summit next week.
UC Santa Cruz and United Way partner to empower youth through research in local communities
April 21, 2021
A research partnership between UC Santa Cruz and United Way of Santa Cruz County will offer local youth and UCSC undergraduates new leadership platforms and support college-readiness and success.
IMS Director Dan Costa named a fellow of the Society for Marine Mammalogy
April 16, 2021
Daniel Costa, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and director of the Institute of Marine Sciences at UC Santa Cruz, has been honored by the Society of Marine Mammalogy (SMM) in its inaugural class of SMM Fellows.
Study of U.S. tuna fisheries explores nexus of climate change, sustainable seafood
April 13, 2021
A new study by researchers at UC Santa Cruz and NOAA examines traditional aspects of seafood sustainability alongside greenhouse gas emissions to better understand the carbon footprint of U.S. tuna fisheries.
Erika Zavaleta honored for diversity efforts by Ecological Society of America
April 6, 2021
The Ecological Society of America (ESA) has chosen Erika Zavaleta, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, to receive its 2021 Commitment to Human Diversity in Ecology Award.
Pioneering plant scientist Jean Langenheim dies at 95
April 1, 2021
Jean Langenheim, an eminent plant ecologist and leading authority on amber and plant resins, died on Sunday, March 28, in Santa Cruz. She was 95.
UCSC ecologist Erika Zavaleta appointed to California Fish and Game Commission
March 25, 2021
Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Erika Zavaleta, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, to the California Fish and Game Commission.
UC Santa Cruz faculty recognized for excellence in ecology
March 25, 2021
The Ecological Society of America announced its 2021 Fellow and Early Career Fellow awards, and UC Santa Cruz’s faculty were the most decorated of any university on this year’s list.
Two UCSC research teams recognized for outstanding papers in PNAS
March 22, 2021
The Cozzarelli Prize recognizes selected papers as outstanding contributions to the scientific disciplines represented by the National Academy of Sciences.
Influential evolutionary biologist Barry Sinervo dies at age 60
March 22, 2021
Sinervo made landmark contributions ranging from evolutionary biology and game theory to the effects of climate change on animals and ecosystems.
New analysis shows potential for ‘solar canals’ in California
March 18, 2021
UC Santa Cruz researchers and their partners published a new study that suggests covering California’s water delivery canals with solar panels could be an economically viable means of advancing renewable energy and water conservation.
UCSC professor contributes to new study showing how parts of the US will ‘tropicalize’ as climate changes
March 18, 2021
Environmental Studies Professor Michael Loik is a coauthor on a new paper describing how warming winters are allowing some tropical plants and animals to replace temperate communities in southern portions of the country.
For migrating elephant seals, ‘lightscapes of fear’ shape feeding, resting strategies
March 17, 2021
A new tracking study shows how elephant seals balance predator avoidance and the need to feed, shifting strategies as their body condition improves during a 7-month foraging migration.
Disrupting harmful food systems to prevent future pandemics
March 11, 2021
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Maywa Montenegro de Wit is exploring how lessons from the abolition movement could help agroecology combat the agro-industrial complex to prevent future pandemics.
Sea otters maintain remnants of healthy kelp forest amid sea urchin barrens
March 8, 2021
While kelp forests have declined dramatically along the California coast, sea otters in Monterey Bay are maintaining patches of healthy kelp forest, according to a new study.
Return to Rat Island: Conservation strategy leads to ecosystem rebound
March 8, 2021
Hawadax Island's birds and seashore ecosystem have returned to a natural balance after the removal of invasive rodents.
The collapse of Northern California kelp forests will be hard to reverse
March 5, 2021
Most of Northern California’s kelp forest ecosystem is gone, replaced by widespread ‘urchin barrens’ that may persist long into the future, according to a new study.
Scientists describe ‘hidden biodiversity crisis’ as variation within species is lost
March 1, 2021
Many of the benefits people receive from nature depend on diversity within species, but this intraspecific variation is poorly understood and declining rapidly.
Massive debris flow swamps Big Creek Reserve as heavy rains follow summer wildfire
February 26, 2021
Boulders the size of vehicles and decades-old redwoods were ripped from the banks of the Big Creek drainage when an atmospheric river inundated the Landels-Hill Big Creek Natural Reserve on the Big Sur coast in late January.
Forest monitoring efforts contribute to new understanding of climate change impacts
February 25, 2021
Data collected by student interns at UC Santa Cruz’s Forest Ecology Research Plot recently contributed to a breakthrough in understanding how climate change affects forests.
COVID and the road ahead
February 23, 2021
UC Santa Cruz infectious disease expert A. Marm Kilpatrick looked toward the future during his immersive Kraw Lecture about COVID vaccines, variants and the road ahead.
Oldest DNA sequences reveal how mammoths evolved
February 17, 2021
Analysis of ancient DNA sequences recovered from mammoth teeth reveal North American mammoths were descended from two earlier mammoth lineages.
Healthy oceans need healthy soundscapes, say marine scientists
February 4, 2021
A global team of researchers has documented the pervasive impacts of noise on marine animals and ecosystems and identified actions to return to the soundtrack of the healthy ocean.
Green New Deal architect Rhiana Gunn-Wright will make a virtual campus visit
February 1, 2021
Gunn-Wright previewed some of the insights she'll share on climate policy and environmental justice during her February 10th event with the Institute for Social Transformation.
Fellowship program gives UCSC grad policy experience in Sacramento
January 27, 2021
After earning his Ph.D. in 2020, Jason John will work at the California Natural Resources Agency as a CCST Science Fellow.
Energy spent avoiding humans linked to smaller home ranges for male pumas
January 25, 2021
New research shows that fear of humans causes mountain lions to increase their energy expenditures as they move through the landscape, and this can ultimately limit the size of the home ranges they’re able to maintain.
Seymour Marine Discovery Center offers new marine science virtual expeditions
January 25, 2021
“Scientists Saving the Oceans” program begins with a behind-the-scenes look at how marine mammal researchers are working to protect dolphins and whales from ocean noise.
Grant funding will advance aquaculture research in UCSC’s new state-of-the-art facility
January 19, 2021
Researchers won a USDA grant in support of their efforts to develop ocean-friendly feed formulas for farm-raised rainbow trout. This work will take place in the team's new aquaculture facility at the UCSC Farm.
Study of flowers with two types of anthers solves mystery that baffled Darwin
January 12, 2021
Some flowers use a clever strategy to ensure effective pollination by bees, doling out pollen gradually from two different sets of anthers.
UC Santa Cruz offers virtual tours of Younger Lagoon Natural Reserve
January 11, 2021
Prompted by the temporary suspension of in-person tours due to COVID-19, the new virtual tours are available in English and Spanish.
CITRIS UCSC Tech For Social Good Program funds student teams
January 6, 2021
Six student teams at UCSC have been chosen for funding this year through the Tech for Social Good Program run by CITRIS and the Banatao Institute at UCSC and co-sponsored by the Institute for Social Transformation.
Shedding light on one of environmental policy’s most under-the-radar strategies
January 4, 2021
Associate professor of environmental studies Sikina Jinnah studies the environmental provisions contained within trade agreements and wants to help policymakers better navigate this space.
Surge in online grocery shopping brings a quantity-over-quality jobs shift
December 9, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated emerging labor market trends associated with e-commerce in the grocery industry, creating mixed implications for jobs, according to a new report led by UCSC professor Chris Benner.
National Academies report on sustainability education features UC Santa Cruz expertise
December 4, 2020
UC Santa Cruz professor Anne Kapuscinski chaired the committee that developed the report, and campus initiatives were highlighted within as examples of innovative sustainability education.
Marine mammals’ adaptations to low oxygen offer new perspective on COVID-19
December 3, 2020
Humans are poorly adapted for oxygen deprivation, making us vulnerable to long-term effects from a disease that disrupts the body’s oxygen supply pathway.
UCSC iGEM team wins gold, nominated for best environmental project
November 30, 2020
Thirteen undergraduates were recognized for their research accomplishments at the world’s largest competition in synthetic biology.
UC Santa Cruz celebrates its first Rhodes Scholar
November 24, 2020
Spring 2020 graduate Garima Desai was named among the top 32 scholars from across the U.S. who will have all of their expenses paid to attend graduate school at Oxford University through a Rhodes Scholarship.
Research breakthrough achieves fish-free aquaculture feed that raises key standards
November 12, 2020
A new aquaculture feed formula eliminates conventional fish meal and fish oil ingredients by combining ingredients derived from two species of marine microalgae.
Quantitative ecologist wins Tansley Medal for plant science contributions
November 4, 2020
Environmental studies assistant professor Kai Zhu was recently chosen from a global field as one of two recipients of the Tansley Medal for Excellence in Plant Science, presented by the journal New Phytologist.
UC Santa Cruz iGEM team seeks a solution to plastic waste
October 23, 2020
Through campus shutdowns, wildfires, and a two-week quarantine, 13 UCSC students have been finding ways to research a solution to agricultural plastic pollution.
Physical and Biological Sciences Division honors three prominent alumni
October 21, 2020
The PBSci Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize contributions to society by graduate and undergraduate alums.
Doctoral candidate wins Switzer Fellowship for environmental justice research in El Salvador
October 19, 2020
James Alejandro Artiga-Purcell, a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Studies, was recently selected for the 2020 Switzer Environmental Fellowship as part of a cohort of 20 top scholar-activists from around the country.
UC Santa Cruz study cited in arguments against gig economy proposition
October 15, 2020
The report, "On-demand and on-the-edge: Ride-hailing and Delivery Workers in San Francisco," underscores the financial vulnerability of workers in the gig economy.
Challenging how we see the prison-industrial complex
October 13, 2020
An ambitious two-part exhibit, titled Barring Freedom and Visualizing Abolition, organized by the UC Santa Cruz Institute of the Arts and Sciences, combines art and activism to address prison and policing issues.
Rising from the ashes
September 29, 2020
Archaeological researchers from UC Santa Cruz are among the volunteers searching through rubble for homeowners who lost their loved ones’ cremains in the fires that ravaged Oregon and California.
The global land rush
September 16, 2020
In her new book, 'Fields of Gold, Financing the Global Land Rush,' Madeleine Fairbairn looks at forces and players that have transformed farmland into a novel financial asset class.
Cooperative research effort documents northward migration of kelp forests
September 9, 2020
From Alaska to Mexico, warming waters are driving widespread changes in these highly productive coastal ecosystems.
In the line of fire
September 1, 2020
Alumnus Adam Lowdermilk had built a career as a musician, but the tragic 2018 Camp Fire prompted a change of heart and a leap into firefighting.
Big Creek Reserve and Six Other UCNRS Sites Burn in 2020 Wildfires
August 26, 2020
An arsonist likely set the fire a few miles north of Big Creek Reserve. After slowing for a short time, the Dolan Fire exploded. Flames raced through the reserve’s main canyon and out to its southern boundary.
Careful planning yields a better Big Creek Reserve
July 31, 2020
Big Creek Reserve's new facilities were made possible by a funding opportunity through California's Proposition 84 and the Wildlife Conservation Board.
Redwood Research At The Edge of the Range
April 28, 2020
California's Big Sur has been the coast redwoods' southernmost stronghold for thousands of years. With a warming planet, canopy scientist Anthony Ambrose asks what the future holds for coast redwoods at the edge of the range. His study takes place in a grove that has long been special to humans, the Dance Floor Grove, located within the Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve. While the trees in this grove have outlived generations of people, their future is uncertain.
New website highlights UCSC's "living labs"
September 24, 2019
Corals can survive in acidified ocean conditions, but have lower density skeletons
June 26, 2019
A two-year transplantation experiment near a natural low-pH submarine spring evaluated growth and physiological response of different coral species to ocean acidification.
Sixth annual Climate Conference links science and justice
March 14, 2019
For the first time, the annual UC Santa Cruz Climate Conference will bring together prominent ocean scientists and leading social-justice advocates to discuss the environmental and equity dimensions of the crisis.
NSF funds innovative stable isotope equipment at UC Santa Cruz
January 2, 2019
The new equipment will support research across a wide range of disciplines, ranging from oceanography and earth science, paleontology, anthropology, ecology and fundamental biochemical cycle research.
Diverse campus landscapes are ideal outdoor laboratories—and classrooms
May 25, 2018
Saving Oaks in Big Sur
April 6, 2015
Sudden oak death study aids reserve, teaches field research
