Dan Costa to accept Monterey Bay marine sanctuary award with lecture on September 25

On September 25, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary will present its Ed Ricketts Memorial Award to Dan Costa, distinguished professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, and former director of UC Santa Cruz's Institute of Marine Sciences. As part of the honor, Costa will deliver a free lecture at the sanctuary's Exploration Center starting at 6:30 p.m.

Costa's talk, "Beyond Pacific Tides: How Technology Has Provided a Window into the Secret Life of Marine Mammals," takes its name from the seminal ecological handbook co-authored by Ricketts, Between Pacific Tides. Costa will discuss how digital technologies provide researchers with unprecedented visibility into the behavior and physiology of marine mammals—even as they dive deep in the ocean, thousands of miles from land.

Named after the Chicago-born ecologist who moved to the Monterey Peninsula in the 1920s, and inspired many notable characters in the works of John Steinbeck, the Ed Ricketts Memorial Award was created to honor scientists who have exhibited exemplary work throughout their career and advanced the status of knowledge in the field of marine science.

The Sanctuary Exploration Center is next to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, at 35 Pacific Ave. Doors open at 6 p.m. and seating is limited. No RSVP needed.

To watch the livestream, please register at GoToWebinar.