Ocean Sciences
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One of the planet’s most important carbon sinks is revealing its secrets
New research clarifies how tiny organisms in the Southern Ocean play an outsized role in moderating Earth’s climate.
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Study pushes back the emergence of African grasslands by more than 10 million years
An international team of scientists has documented the earliest evidence for local abundance in eastern Africa of the types of grasses that now dominate grassland and savannah ecosystems in tropical and subtropical regions around the world.
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Ocean scientist Kenneth Bruland recognized for pioneering research paper
The 2023 John H. Martin Award from the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography celebrates an influential 1998 paper on the role of iron in coastal ecosystems.
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Minke whales are as small as a lunge-feeding baleen whale can be
Research on the feeding behavior of Antarctic minke whales found that a smaller whale could not capture enough food to survive using the lunge-feeding strategy of baleen whales.
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McKenna Smith: Pursuing biological sciences
McKenna Smith was awarded the Keeley Coastal Scholars Award in 2022. Learn more about how scholarships support students at UC Santa Cruz.
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Study reveals influence of krill availability on humpback whale pregnancies
Data from Antarctica show more humpback whales get pregnant after years with abundant krill than after years when krill were less plentiful.
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UCSC marine sciences professor to lead new Center for Coastal Climate Resilience
Longtime UC Santa Cruz marine sciences professor Michael W. Beck is adding a new role to his resume: director of the campus’ recently announced Center for Coastal Climate Resilience.
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UCSC researchers win NOAA grants to study climate change patterns in California’s marine sanctuaries
Two UC Santa Cruz researchers will be delving deeper into coastal and climate resiliency efforts within California’s marine sanctuaries as part of two recent grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
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Ocean scientist Christina Ravelo awarded AGU’s Maurice Ewing Medal
The American Geophysical Union’s Ewing Medal is given annually in recognition of significant original contributions to the ocean sciences .
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With Pivot Fellowship, astronomer J. Xavier Prochaska turns to oceanography
A new program from the Simons Foundation supports successful researchers who have a deep interest, curiosity, and drive to make contributions to a new discipline.
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Data from elephant seals reveal new features of marine heatwave ‘the Blob’
Instruments carried by migrating elephant seals measured deep warm-water anomalies that lasted much longer than the surface warming.
