Science

Cuddly animals such as pandas and sea otters usually steal the limelight in conservation programs. But a new PBS documentary series spotlights fish as animals in desperate need of protection. Two UC Santa Cruz researchers are featured in the two-part series, which explores problems associated with fishing and fish farming. Part one of the series,…

The UC Santa Cruz Arboretum is holding its annual Spring Plant Sale in conjunction with the California Native Plant Society on Saturday, April 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale will take place at the Arboretum Eucalyptus Grove on High Street near the intersection with Western Drive. The sale will feature plants that…

WASHINGTON, D.C.–In the aftermath of September 11, the science and technology community will be expected to contribute to new counterterrorism efforts. Some of these programs may face new restrictions in access to information or to laboratory procedures. On Thursday, April 11, M.R.C. Greenwood, chancellor of the University of California, Santa Cruz, will address the consequences…

The University of California, Santa Cruz, has established a new environmental research institute, building on the campus’s strong tradition of interdisciplinary research in the environmental sciences. To help launch the new institute, UCSC alumnus Gordon Ringold and his wife Tanya Zarucki have provided a gift of $500,000–the largest outright gift the campus has ever received…

The Shape of Life, a new television documentary series about the diversity of animal life on Earth, features UC Santa Cruz researchers among the scientists who lead viewers on a dramatic exploration of the animal kingdom. The series premieres Tuesday, April 2, on PBS stations nationwide. John Pearse, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology,…

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) will present one of its highest honors, the Mary Sears Woman Pioneer in Oceanography Award, to Mary Silver, professor of ocean sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Silver is being honored for providing “significant scientific leadership in understanding our marine environment” and for providing “the inspiration and/or…

While studying a large lagoon in Papua New Guinea, meter by meter, Donald Potts decided there had to be a better way to do ecology. A new tuna factory on the lagoon’s shores threatened to drastically change the lagoon before Potts could capture a scant fraction of its initial state. Returning to the University of…

Each spring, alumni from the University of California’s nine campuses meet with state lawmakers in Sacramento as part of the annual UC Day legislative conference. At this year’s conference, March 18-19, two UC Santa Cruz students will be honored for work they submitted for the UC Research Poster Competition. Patrice Friedmann and Haivan Ngo will…

An abrupt episode of global warming and major changes in plant and animal life marked the transition between the Paleocene and Eocene epochs about 55 million years ago. Several groups of mammals, including early primates and modern hooved mammals, made their first appearances in Asia, Europe, and North America around this time. A new study…

Marine scientists involved in a major study of coastal ecosystems on the West Coast are hosting a Public Symposium on Sunday, March 10, to present findings from their first three years of research. Researchers, managers, ocean enthusiasts, and the general public are invited to attend and learn about recent progress from the Partnership for Interdisciplinary…

The University of California, Santa Cruz, will dedicate the Center for Ocean Health at the Joseph M. Long Marine Laboratory on Thursday, February 21. The 23,000-square-foot state-of-the-art research facility was completed last spring and has been occupied since June 2001. The Center for Ocean Health serves as a focal point for scientific research, education, and…

David Haussler, professor of computer science at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has gained international recognition through his recent contributions to the Human Genome Project. Having helped to assemble a working draft of the human genome, he is now deeply involved in efforts to use the information encoded in the genome sequence to transform…