Science

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…

MEDIA ADVISORY What: The University of California, Santa Cruz, will hold a dedication ceremony for the new Center for Ocean Health at the Joseph M. Long Marine Laboratory. When: Thursday, February 21 10:30 a.m. Dedication Ceremony, La Feliz Room, Seymour Marine Discovery Center 11:30 a.m. Ribbon Cutting, Center for Ocean Health 11:45 a.m. Reception and…

The University of California, Santa Cruz, will soon be at the center of an extensive new program to monitor California’s coastal oceans. The Network for Environmental Observation of the Coastal Ocean (NEOCO) will funnel real-time data from seven UC research sites along the California coast to a database at UC Santa Cruz. Information in the…

Harry Noller, the Sinsheimer Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his coauthors on a groundbreaking paper published last year have received a major award in recognition of their achievements. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has awarded them the Newcomb Cleveland Prize, which is given annually…

Today, northern fur seals are primarily native to Alaska and Siberia and are rarely seen on the Central Coast of California. But up until 1,000 years ago, these animals bred abundantly on the beaches of Monterey Bay and elsewhere in California. That discovery initially surprised researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who are…