Media Coverage
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Researchers find answer to mystery of dead seal pups along Northern California coast
Researchers have found an answer to a grim, whodunit-style mystery where the headless bodies of harbor seal pups were found on Northern California beaches. The answer, caught on hidden motion sensor cameras, not only ended the mystery but also showed nature taking its course: coyotes eating those seal pups. The cameras are part of UC Santa…
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The Biggest Discoveries in Biology in 2023 | Quanta Magazine
Novel work on the circadian clock has been done in the lab of a single scientist: the biochemist Carrie Partch at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Partch is driven by a unique obsession not only with the basic steps of the clock, but also with the intricate dance that clock proteins perform as they…
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Finding sanctuary | An iconic coastal species, the endangered black abalone
Although Big Sur boasts some of the densest populations of black abalone on the west coast, natural disasters have contributed to thousands of intertidal black abalone being buried alive in the intertidal zone. Dr. Steve Lonhart, a sanctuary research ecologist, collaborated with scientists from UC Santa Cruz, led by doctoral student Wendy Bragg, to rescue…
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California energy officials vote to extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operations
"Inside the aging Diablo Canyon reactors resides an astronomical quantity of radioactivity," said Daniel Hirsch, a retired director of the Program on Environmental and Nuclear Policy at UC Santa Cruz. "It only stays inside if it's constantly cooled. Any disruption in that, an earthquake or accident, can cause a meltdown releasing enough radioactivity to contaminate…
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How Bay Area Italians Were Treated As 'Enemy Aliens' During WWII
“A lot of people mistakenly assume that Japanese Americans were the only ones affected by national security fears,” says UC Santa Cruz historian Alice Yang, adding that Italians and Germans also had their civil liberties infringed upon. People were imprisoned for being journalists at Italian radio stations and newspapers, teaching the Italian language or simply being…
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A New Research Project Aims To Give A Comprehensive Count To California’s Mountain Lion Population
Environmental Studies Professor Chris Wilmers joined the KPCC/LAist radio show "AirTalk" for a segment about his work on the latest population estimate for California's mountain lions.
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Fentanyl Crisis and Mental Health Issues Drive 2022 Increase in Deaths in Riverside County Jails
Distinguished Professor of Psychology Craig Haney spoke with Black Voice News about the mental health crisis in jails. “We don’t have a functioning, adequate public mental health system in the United States,” said Haney. “As a result, people suffering from mental health problems often end up in the criminal justice system.”
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A New Project Uses Isotopes to Pinpoint the Birthplaces of the Enslaved
Smithsonian Magazine covered research by Associate Professor of Anthropology Vicky Oelze that's using stable isotope analysis to hone in on the regions of origin for enslaved African people who were buried at the Anson Street Burial Ground in South Carolina.
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California mountain lion population is thousands fewer than previously estimated
The Los Angeles Times covered new research on California Mountain Lions that was conducted in partnership with Environmental Studies Professor Chris Wilmers. The San Francisco Chronicle also covered this research.
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Stark racial, economic inequalities persist across Monterey Bay, new study finds
Lookout Santa Cruz covered a new report produced by Institute for Social Transformation Faculty Director Chris Benner that tracks progress on efforts to build a more inclusive economy in the Monterey Bay region.
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Labor unions and environmentalists are working together on the energy transition
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies J. Mijin Cha spoke with High Country News about the importance of transitioning away from fossil fuels in a way that also protects the livelihoods of workers.
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The elusive inclusive economy of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties
BenitoLink covered highlights from a keynote research presentation by Institute for Social Transformation faculty director Chris Benner at the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership's State of the Region conference.