Ocean Sciences
-
Scientists once thought only humans could bob to music. Ronan the sea lion helped prove them wrong
Not many animals show a clear ability to identify and move to a beat aside from humans, parrots and some primates. But then there’s Ronan, a bright-eyed sea lion that has scientists rethinking the meaning of music. Ronan has been a resident at UC Santa Cruz’s Long Marine Laboratory, where UC Santa Cruz researchers have…
-
Odd-Looking Blue Creatures Are Washing Up in Large Groups on California’s Beaches Once Again
Velellas typically wash ashore in Northern California in spring or early summer, because “in the spring is when we have upwelling,” explains Raphael Kudela, a marine scientist at University of California, Santa Cruz, to KQED’s Danielle Venton and Sarah Mohamad. “Upwelling brings lots of nutrients, and lots of nutrients bring phytoplankton and zooplankton.”