News
Field courses boost STEM diversity, study reveals
May 19, 2020
The challenge of diversifying STEM fields may get a boost from the results of a new study that show field courses help build self-confidence among students—especially those from underrepresented groups.
Crabeater seal data used to predict changes in Antarctic krill distribution
April 27, 2020
Tracking the feeding behavior of crabeater seals allowed researchers to build an oceanographic model of krill habitat and project how it is likely to change in the future.
Watch UCSC participants talk about hope during TEDx Santa Cruz
April 23, 2020
Last December, TEDx Santa Cruz hosted a day-long extravaganza of talks curated around the theme of "The Art of Hope." Those talks, including ones by several UCSC affiliates, are now available for online viewing.
UCSC researchers are taking on the coronavirus challenge on multiple fronts
April 1, 2020
From developing diagnostic tests to conducting surveys of infection prevalence, campus researchers are doing what they can in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recruiting raptors for rodent control along the Pajaro River levee
March 24, 2020
UCSC’s Predatory Bird Research Group is working with the Santa Cruz County Flood Control District to encourage hawks and owls to patrol the levee for rodent control.
Tracking data used to identify biodiversity hot spots in Southern Ocean ecosystems
March 18, 2020
An international team of scientists used electronic tracking data from birds and marine mammals to identify areas of ecological significance in the waters around Antarctica.
Grad student Melissa Cronin wins Seafood Sustainability Contest
March 10, 2020
The $45,000 prize will support Cronin’s efforts to to reduce the mortality of manta rays and devil rays incidentally caught during tuna fishing.
Aquaculture to benefit people and the environment
February 20, 2020
Two graduate students have received a one-year, $150,000 grant to create environmentally sound seaweed and sea cucumber farms on the coasts of Kenya and The Gambia.
Researchers get a ‘whale’s-eye view’ of Antarctic sea ice
February 19, 2020
Cameras attached to a rare species of Antarctic whale are giving scientists an unprecedented view of how the whales survive in their sea ice habitat.
Proposed hydropower dams pose threat to Gabon’s fishes
February 6, 2020
Proposed hydropower dams in Gabon pose a substantial threat to the African nation’s most culturally and economically important fishes, according to a new study.
$2.6 million grant funds program to increase diversity of conservation leaders
January 16, 2020
New funding for the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at UC Santa Cruz builds on the program’s successes in training the next generation of diverse conservation leaders.
The mysterious case of the ornamented coot chicks has a surprising explanation
December 30, 2019
The bright colors of the chicks of American coots help their parents choose favorites, according to a new study.
How genetics and social games drive evolution of mating systems in mammals
December 19, 2019
From monogamy to promiscuity, a new model explains the evolution of diverse mating systems based on the conflict between cooperative and competitive behaviors.
California’s sea otter population could triple by recolonizing San Francisco Bay
December 10, 2019
A new study highlights the importance of estuaries as prime habitat for the endangered southern sea otter.
Students power resurvey of UC Santa Cruz natural reserves
December 9, 2019
Student teams are conducting surveys of the birds, plants, fish, fungi, insects, vascular plants, mammals, bryophytes, and lichens at all four of the campus’s Natural Reserves.
Island 'soundscapes' show potential for evaluating recovery of nesting seabirds
December 5, 2019
Conservation biologists are taking a holistic approach to acoustic monitoring for evaluating the effectiveness of restoration efforts.
Nine UCSC speakers join TEDx Santa Cruz extravaganza Dec. 7
December 2, 2019
Nine UCSC affiliates will join novelist Jonathan Franzen and a host of other speakers for TEDx Santa Cruz, a daylong extravaganza focused this year on the "Art of Hope," on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Fish in California estuaries are evolving as climate change alters their habitat
November 21, 2019
Comparison of current stickleback populations with fish collected in the 1970s shows the populations are evolving as California's climate becomes hotter and drier.
Rachel Carson College: Training the green generation
November 19, 2019
UC Santa Cruz’s eighth college is a haven for sustainability-minded, environmentally conscious students hoping to lead and empower others .
Public invited to view Norris Center art-science residency projects
October 31, 2019
Several examples of art-science collaborations will be on view at the Museum of Art and History on Sunday, Nov. 10 from 10-5 p.m. and at the Norris Center for Natural History on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15-16 from noon to 5 p.m.
Whole genome sequencing could help save pumas from inbreeding
October 18, 2019
The first complete genetic sequences of individual mountain lions point the way to better conservation strategies for saving threatened populations of the wild animals.
Reef fish caring for their young are taken advantage of by other fish
October 9, 2019
Biologists have reported the first evidence of brood parasitism in coral reef fish, finding unrelated young fish in groups of young being protected by their parents.
Alumna Stacy Jupiter wins coveted MacArthur Fellowship
September 25, 2019
Stacy Jupiter, a marine scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society who earned her Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz in 2006, is among the 26 new MacArthur Fellows for 2019.
Elephant seal 'supermoms' produce most of the population, study finds
September 17, 2019
High mortality rates for young elephant seals means long-lived females dominate the reproductive output of the population.
Switzer Environmental Fellowship awarded to UCSC graduate student
September 5, 2019
Melissa Cronin, a Ph.D. candidate in ecology and evolutionary biology, has been awarded a Switzer Environmental Fellowship from the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation.
Shasta dam releases can be managed to benefit both salmon and sturgeon, study finds
August 20, 2019
An optimal scenario for releasing water into the Sacramento River can meet the needs of endangered winter-run chinook salmon, threatened green sturgeon, and downstream water users.
In Memoriam: Umihiko Hoshijima
August 12, 2019
Umihiko (Umi) Hoshijima, a postdoctoral researcher in ecology and evolutionary biology, died August 7 in a diving accident while working on a research project near Glacier Bay, Alaska.
Researchers enlist citizen scientists to count animals on Año Nuevo Island
August 7, 2019
Volunteers will use drone photos uploaded to the Zooniverse platform to count birds, seals, and sea lions for an unprecedented census of the island.
Conservation biologists find new applications for AI tools
July 30, 2019
Deep learning algorithms can be trained to recognize anything from the types of vegetation in a coastal wetland to the sound of a bird hitting a power line.
Dream job: Combining science and illustration
July 16, 2019
Ph.D. student Jessica Kendall-Bar is fascinated by how wild marine mammals sleep, and also passionate about using art to explain science.
Plant scientist Jean Langenheim honored by Graduate Women in Science
January 11, 2012
The Graduate Women in Science organization Sigma Delta Epsilon has awarded its highest honor, national honorary membership, to UC Santa Cruz plant scientist Jean Langenheim in recognition of her outstanding achievements in scientific research.
QUEST TV profiles biologist Dan Costa
July 27, 2011
UCSC biologist Dan Costa is featured in a new episode of KQED's QUEST TV program.
Loss of large predators has caused widespread disruption of ecosystems
July 14, 2011
The decline of large predators and other "apex consumers" at the top of the food chain has disrupted ecosystems all over the planet, according to a review of recent findings.
