Science
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New studies reveal connections between oceanographic processes and rockfish populations
More than 60 species of rockfish live along the U.S. West Coast, including about 10 commercially important species (often sold as red snapper) that inhabit the shallow rocky reefs and kelp beds of the California coast. Like most marine fish, rockfish produce larval young that spend the first few months of their lives drifting about…
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Lecture promises ‘behind the headlines’ look at Keiko the whale
Keiko the killer whale has been making headlines since the early 1990s, when he starred in the popular Free Willy movies. For a look behind the headlines at the effort to return Keiko to the wild, the public is invited to a talk at UCSC’s Long Marine Laboratory by Charles Vinick, executive vice president of…
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UC Santa Cruz biodiversity workshop focuses on Santa Lucia Mountains
The Santa Lucia Range, rising steeply from California’s Big Sur coast, is one of the most environmentally complex and biologically rich areas of the state. An all-day workshop held last week at the University of California, Santa Cruz, brought together representatives of the many governmental and nongovernmental agencies, private groups, and university researchers studying this…
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Volcanic seamounts siphon ocean water through the seafloor–researchers trace flow over long distances
Researchers have discovered a pair of seamounts on the ocean floor that serve as inflow and outflow points for a vast plumbing system that circulates water through the seafloor. The seamounts are separated by more than 30 miles (52 kilometers). “One big underwater volcano is sucking in seawater, and the water flows north through the…
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New health sciences major at UC Santa Cruz includes community service and Spanish language requirements
The University of California, Santa Cruz, has established a new health sciences major designed for students interested in medical careers. Students majoring in health sciences at UCSC will be required to become proficient in Spanish and to do an internship in a community health care setting, in addition to taking the usual science courses required…
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Scientists explain formation of stone circles and other strange patterns in northern regions by simple feedback mechanisms and self-organization
Perfect circles of stones cover the ground in parts of Alaska and the Norwegian islands of Spitsbergen. Elsewhere in the far north, stones form other striking patterns on the ground: polygons, stripes, islands, and labyrinths. No, pranksters are not at work in these remote areas, nor are aliens, elves, or any other outside forces moving…
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Astronomers detect a faint debris trail in the Andromeda galaxy, more evidence of galactic cannibalism
The discovery of a faint trail of stars in the nearby Andromeda galaxy offers new evidence that large spiral galaxies have grown by gobbling up smaller satellite galaxies. The new findings are being presented on Monday, January 6, by astronomers Puragra (Raja) GuhaThakurta of the University of California, Santa Cruz, and David Reitzel of UCLA…
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Mercury in California rainwater traced to industrial emissions in Asia
Industrial emissions in Asia are a major source of mercury in rainwater that falls along the California coast, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The researchers reported their findings in a paper published online today by the Journal of Geophysical Research – Atmospheres. (The paper will appear…
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Researchers observe electronic dynamics of strongly interacting gold nanoparticles using ultrafast laser spectroscopy
Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have reported the first observations of ultrafast electronic dynamics in a system of strongly interacting gold nanoparticles. The observations are an important advance in nanoparticle research, because the development of practical devices using metal nanoparticles depends on understanding how they interact. Jin Zhang, an associate professor of…
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Jingle Shells Holiday Art and Book Festival takes place Saturday, December 7, at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center
The Seymour Center at Long Marine Laboratory is celebrating the holidays with its annual Jingle Shells Art and Book Festival on Saturday, December 7, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Do your holiday shopping in a festive atmosphere, with live music, refreshments, children’s crafts and storytelling, and free gift wrapping. The festival includes a wide…
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Lick Observatory honored by National Weather Service
The National Weather Service is honoring the University of California’s Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton with a Length of Service Award for 120 years of daily weather observations and dedicated service to the United States. The award will be presented on Friday, November 22, at 11 a.m. in the observatory’s main building atop Mt. Hamilton.…
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UC Santa Cruz workshop on climate change and water resources brings together scientists and water agencies
Representatives of state and regional water agencies joined climate researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, last week to discuss “Climate Change and Water Resources Planning.” The meeting was the first of a series of workshops being organized by UCSC’s STEPS Institute for Innovation in Environmental Research. The workshops will address a variety of…