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2020 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

December 04, 2020
National Academies report on sustainability education features UC Santa Cruz expertise
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.
December 03, 2020
Marine mammals’ adaptations to low oxygen offer new perspective on COVID-19
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.
September 09, 2020
Cooperative research effort documents northward migration of kelp forests
From Alaska to Mexico, warming waters are driving widespread changes in these highly productive coastal ecosystems.
September 01, 2020
In the line of fire
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.
August 31, 2020
Rising to the Eco-Challenge
Two Slug alumni were part of a grueling, 11-day, 416-mile adventure race called Eco-Challenge Fiji, caught in a 10-episode series streaming on Amazon Prime.
August 24, 2020
Marine mammals show off their training in evacuation from Long Marine Lab
All of the resident marine mammals at UCSC’s Long Marine Laboratory are safe and well after a successful evacuation effort.
August 22, 2020
Research buildings saved as wildfire sweeps across Big Creek Natural Reserve
Fire preparedness and hard work by fast-moving fire crews and UC Santa Cruz staff is being credited for saving research and residential buildings at the Landels-Hill Big Creek Natural Reserve on the Big Sur coast.
August 19, 2020
Alaska’s salmon are getting smaller, affecting people and ecosystems
A comprehensive study of four salmon species across all regions of Alaska finds salmon are returning to rivers smaller and younger than in the past.
August 05, 2020
Influential marine biologist John Pearse dies at 84
A leading authority on marine invertebrates and intertidal ecology, Pearse was a beloved teacher and mentor to generations of marine biologists.
July 17, 2020
Is COVID-related reduction in marine traffic reducing stress in whales?
Whale researchers are taking advantage of changes in boat traffic in Monterey Bay during the pandemic to collect data on stress hormones in humpback whales.
July 02, 2020
A call for caution, personal responsibility
If people simply wait around for federal, state, and local governments to save them from the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than take precautions to keep themselves and their communities safe, “we will lose the economy and our lives,’’ said infectious disease expert A. Marm Kilpatrick this week.
July 01, 2020
Researchers honored for work in UCSC-NOAA Fisheries Collaborative Program
Three researchers affiliated with the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) at UC Santa Cruz have received awards from the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center for their outstanding contributions to research in 2019.
June 23, 2020
Hellman Fellows Program and UC announce $125 million commitment to faculty research
The Hellman Fellows Program and the University of California announced a plan to permanently support the Hellman Fellows Program on all 10 campuses in the UC system.
June 03, 2020
NOAA funds new Cooperative Institute for Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Systems
CIMEAS supports the ongoing collaboration between UC Santa Cruz and the National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center.
June 01, 2020
Two vital buffers against climate change are just offshore
A new study underscores the need to conserve and restore mangroves and coral reefs for coastal protection.
May 28, 2020
Emerald predators: Ohlone tiger beetles reclaim territory with the help of local scientists
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists released 43 Ohlone tiger beetles to a new home in Santa Cruz County earlier this year with the help of UC Santa Cruz students and reserve managers
May 19, 2020
Field courses boost STEM diversity, study reveals
The challenge of diversifying STEM fields may get a boost from the results of a new study that show field courses help build self-confidence among students—especially those from underrepresented groups.
April 27, 2020
Crabeater seal data used to predict changes in Antarctic krill distribution
Tracking the feeding behavior of crabeater seals allowed researchers to build an oceanographic model of krill habitat and project how it is likely to change in the future.
April 23, 2020
Watch UCSC participants talk about hope during TEDx Santa Cruz
Last December, TEDx Santa Cruz hosted a day-long extravaganza of talks curated around the theme of "The Art of Hope." Those talks, including ones by several UCSC affiliates, are now available for online viewing.
April 01, 2020
UCSC researchers are taking on the coronavirus challenge on multiple fronts
From developing diagnostic tests to conducting surveys of infection prevalence, campus researchers are doing what they can in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 24, 2020
Recruiting raptors for rodent control along the Pajaro River levee
UCSC’s Predatory Bird Research Group is working with the Santa Cruz County Flood Control District to encourage hawks and owls to patrol the levee for rodent control.
March 18, 2020
Tracking data used to identify biodiversity hot spots in Southern Ocean ecosystems
An international team of scientists used electronic tracking data from birds and marine mammals to identify areas of ecological significance in the waters around Antarctica.
March 10, 2020
Grad student Melissa Cronin wins Seafood Sustainability Contest
The $45,000 prize will support Cronin’s efforts to to reduce the mortality of manta rays and devil rays incidentally caught during tuna fishing.
February 20, 2020
Aquaculture to benefit people and the environment
Two graduate students have received a one-year, $150,000 grant to create environmentally sound seaweed and sea cucumber farms on the coasts of Kenya and The Gambia.
February 19, 2020
Researchers get a ‘whale’s-eye view’ of Antarctic sea ice
Cameras attached to a rare species of Antarctic whale are giving scientists an unprecedented view of how the whales survive in their sea ice habitat.
February 06, 2020
Proposed hydropower dams pose threat to Gabon’s fishes
Proposed hydropower dams in Gabon pose a substantial threat to the African nation’s most culturally and economically important fishes, according to a new study.
January 16, 2020
$2.6 million grant funds program to increase diversity of conservation leaders
New funding for the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at UC Santa Cruz builds on the program’s successes in training the next generation of diverse conservation leaders.