Science

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…

What: The Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) is hosting a Public Symposium to present findings from three years of research on coastal ecosystems. Researchers, managers, ocean enthusiasts, and the general public are invited to join scientists from this West Coast research consortium to learn about recent progress. PISCO involves researchers from four…

Toxic algae periodically bloom in Monterey Bay and other coastal waters, sometimes poisoning seabirds and marine mammals and interfering with economically important fisheries. It can take weeks, however, for scientists to determine that an algal bloom is producing a potentially deadly toxin. Now researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, hope to catch toxin-producing…

An unusual conifer found in a remote area of northern Vietnam has been identified as a genus and species previously unknown to science. The limestone ridges where the tree grows are among the most botanically rich areas in Vietnam and certainly harbor many other undescribed species, but they are outside the country’s protected reserves, said…

Local marine mammals are starring in the Seymour Center’s winter program at UCSC’s Long Marine Laboratory. From January through March, the center presents “Marvelous Marine Mammals,” a series of events focused on Monterey Bay’s sea lions, sea otters, dolphins, whales, and elephant seals, and the scientists who study them. Events include three science lectures, a…

Ross Stein, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Earthquake Hazards Program, will give a free public lecture at the University of California, Santa Cruz, on Wednesday, January 16. The lecture, titled “Living It Up in the Fault Lane, or How Earthquakes Converse,” begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Seymour Center at Long Marine Laboratory,…

A new study is shattering old beliefs about the great white shark–one of the largest, most awe-inspiring predators in the sea. Scientists have long believed that these powerful carnivores spend most of their lives relatively close to shore, pursuing seals and sea lions. But a study in the January 3 issue of the journal Nature…