Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
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California Sea Grant funds graduate research fellows at UCSC
California Sea Grant has awarded funding to four UC Santa Cruz graduate students for marine science research projects that address the agency’s priority themes of resilient coastal communities and economies, sustainable fisheries, and healthy coastal ecosystems.
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Younger Lagoon study tells a tale of two fishes
Research at UCSC’s Younger Lagoon shows that the state of estuary waters, not competition from another fish species, is the most important predictor of populations of an endangered fish.
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Elephant seals’ map sense tells them when to head ‘home’
Researchers found that female elephant seals know their distance from the breeding beach and allocate extra time to get back if they have farther to travel.
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Genome of extinct Steller’s sea cow reveals surprising link to human skin disease
Analysis of ancient DNA from sea cow bones finds genes that may have played a role in adaptation to cold marine environment and yields evidence of a long population decline.
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UCSC researchers study effects of wildfire runoff on steelhead sense of smell
The 2020 wildfires offered UCSC researchers a chance to study how the runoff after wildfire affects one of the region’s most iconic fish: steelhead trout.
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Two UCSC professors elected 2021 AAAS Fellows
Biologist Suzanne Alonzo and Earth scientist James Zachos have been awarded the distinction of AAAS Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
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Researchers recover ancient mammoth tusk during deep-sea expedition
A team of researchers from UC Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and University of Michigan are studying the tusk retrieved from deep waters off the California coast.
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New book chronicles more than 50 years of elephant seal research at Año Nuevo Reserve
Professor Emeritus Burney Le Boeuf summarizes the findings of the UC Santa Cruz elephant seal research program, one of the longest running studies of any animal
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Ecologist Erika Zavaleta named ESA Excellence in Ecology Scholar
Erika Zavaleta, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, has been selected by the Ecological Society of America (ESA) as one of four ESA Excellence in Ecology (EEE) Scholars in the first cohort of this new initiative.
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Data-driven animations of marine mammals combine biology, art, and computation
New tools for data visualization can transform data from animal-borne tags into cinematic and informative animations of marine mammal behavior.
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Seagrass restoration study shows rapid recovery of ecosystem functions
Restored plots of eelgrass in Elkhorn Slough expanded rapidly, providing improved habitat for fish and invertebrates and other benefits of a healthy ecosystem.
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Long-term study of elephant seal reproduction shows population’s resilience
Researchers found that a female elephant seal’s age and experience were more important than ocean conditions in determining the condition of her pup at weaning.