Ocean Sciences
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Tracking fisherman to track fish: The new technological approach to better understand ocean life
“We wondered if we could use it to understand what’s happening to the ecosystem as the climate changes,” explains Heather Welch, a marine science researcher at U.C. Santa Cruz. Instead of tracking fishing fleets, Welch and her colleagues are interested in tracking the fish themselves. Tuna to be exact.
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Study tracks fishing boats to see how heat waves affect fish distribution
“We have so much data on fishing vessel activity,” study lead author Heather Welch, a marine spatial ecologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, said in a statement. “These data are traditionally used for surveillance, and it is exciting that they may also be useful for understanding ecosystem health.”
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Watch orcas and dolphins team up to hunt—a possible scientific first
“In nature, mutualism—where both parties benefit—is the most likely reason that you would have two disparate groups coming together,” says Ari Friedlaender, professor of ocean sciences at UC Santa Cruz, who wasn’t involved in the study. Additional coverage in Smithsonian magazine.
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Whale and Dolphin Migrations are Being Disrupted by Climate Change
Ari Friedlaender, an ecologist and professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who monitors whale migrations, said it could be that changing ocean conditions may be pushing the whales’ prey closer to shore.
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After deadly year for whales in Calif., new map offers a lifeline
“I hope this new platform can demystify the scientific data we collected, making it accessible for people who are interested in whales and biology,” said Ari Friedlaender, a UC Santa Cruz ecologist who tagged many of the featured whales. “It’s great if it also brings people closer to the animals, helping foster empathy and responsibility.”
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‘The Blob’ marine heat wave now spans an area the size of the US
Rachel Holser, a scientist at UC Santa Cruz who studies the California Current ecosystem, explained to SFGATE what scientists call the “blob” is a phenomenon best understood as a series of “distinct” heat waves. It first appeared from 2013 to 2015, followed by a second iteration in 2019, with each defined by its own conditions.
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A world-renowned California scientist’s career is defined by chance
The minutes pass into hours as the swell rises and falls like craggy rock formations, lulling me into a meditative state. But the man at the helm, Ari Friedlaender, is on high alert. With a ball cap and sunglasses shielding his bearded face, and a pair of flip-flops on his feet, the world-renowned ecologist and…
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How changing ocean colors could impact California
Earth’s oceans have been getting greener at the poles and becoming bluer closer to the equator, according to a study published Thursday in Science. The shift reflects changes in marine ecosystems, which experts say could affect fish populations and create problems for fisheries, including in California. “It has lots of potential implications for the way…
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Scientists warn of critical missing piece in humans’ understanding of animals: ‘Not quite sophisticated enough’
Animals use various strategies to adapt to climate change, but scientific studies usually measure only one factor over a period of time or space. A new paper says considering multiple factors within one study could create a more holistic understanding. “The picture that we all have in our heads for species on the move, we’re…
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This seagull took an 80-mile truck ride twice to find food
“It was surprising and comical, so much so that we wanted to look closely into this one individual’s behavior to understand how this happened,” Megan Cimino, a researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences at UC Santa Cruz and lead author of the study, told Axios. Additional coverage by SFGate and Smithsonian Magazine.
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New exhibit combines art and climate science, Monterey courts international visitors
The Institute of Arts and Sciences at UC Santa Cruz recently opened a new exhibition, Weather and the Whale. It uses art as a medium to explain how weather patterns affect the aquatic mammals and the environment.
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How do clownfish survive a heat wave? By shrinking themselves down
Many animals around the world are getting smaller, says Alexa Fredston, a quantitative ecologist at University of California, Santa Cruz, who wasn’t involved in the study. … By measuring individual fish, “the results paint a fascinating and complex picture of how individual animals respond to a prolonged marine heat wave,” Fredston says.