Science

The California Energy Commission has awarded a $1 million grant to the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group (SCPBRG) to help solve the problem of bird deaths caused by power lines and other structures used for electricity transmission. Thousands of hawks, eagles, owls, and other birds die each year from electrocution and collisions with power…

People usually think of genetic mutations as negative, causing birth defects or leading to diseases like cancer. But mutations can also be beneficial. In fact, they are at the core of evolution, helping organisms to adapt to changes in their surroundings by creating proteins that work slightly differently. This process of molecular evolution will be…

About 40 percent of the U.S. population is infected with a bacterium that can cause stomach inflammation and ulcers and increases the risk of stomach cancer. Although the bacterium, called Helicobacter pylori, was discovered in the 1980s, scientists are just now beginning to understand how it causes infections in the stomach lining. Karen Ottemann, assistant…

Graham Pearson, retired director general of the United Kingdom Chemical and Biological Defense Establishment, will visit the University of California, Santa Cruz, this month and next as a Regents’ Lecturer. During his visit, from April 29 to May 10, Pearson will give a public lecture on biosecurity, meet with UCSC faculty and students, and take…

What: “Illustrating Nature,” an exhibit of science and nature illustrations When: May 4 through June 9, 2002 Where: Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, 1305 E. Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Details: “Illustrating Nature” is an annual exhibit of detailed science and nature illustrations by students in…

For centuries scientists have used physical characteristics like size and color to separate one species from another. But new genetic studies show that these traits can be misleading, at least in certain kinds of fish. Giacomo Bernardi, an associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his colleagues…

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…