Four UC undergraduates have been awarded the UC Natural Reserve System’s first Field Science Fellowships. The fellowship is intended to enable these highly motivated students to concentrate full time on their field science research for an entire summer with the guidance of a UC faculty mentor. “The fellowship applications we received were truly stellar,” says […]
Kenneth S. Norris Rancho Marino Reserve
Pathogen moves from land to ocean, infecting sea otters
By Kat Kerlin, UC Davis A parasite known only to be hosted in North America by the Virginia opossum is infecting sea otters along the West Coast. A study from the University of California, Davis, elucidates the sometimes surprising and complex pathways infectious pathogens can move from land to sea to sea otter. For the […]
Field research, UC mentors inspire career in marine biology
by Brenda Ortiz, UC Merced Lauren Schiebelhut credits the support and opportunities afforded to her at UC with opening the door to her career in marine research. Schiebelhut — a first-generation transfer student from Fresno — earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from UC Merced in May 2009 but was uncertain about her future. […]
Disease caused catastrophic sea star declines
by Julie Cohen, UC Santa Barbara Five years ago, a mysterious disease began crippling sea star populations along the West Coast. Many sea star species died in record-breaking numbers over a short period of time, and a keystone known as the ochre sea star (Pisaster ochraceus) was among the hardest hit. The outbreak extended from […]
Refuges against rising ocean acidification
Ocean acidification widespread in the California current, but pockets of protection exist By Shelly Leachman, UC Santa Barbara First, the bad news: New data reveals that acidified ocean water is pervasive along the West Coast — and is likely to keep spreading. So what’s the good news? Persistent, less-acidic havens in some regions may be […]
UC Santa Barbara celebrates 50 years of the UC Natural Reserve System
Celebrating the UCSB Natural Reserves from UC Santa Barbara on Vimeo. Additional footage and aerials by Alexander Mark Romanov and NOAA Fisheries. Founders foresight “The founders of the reserve system wanted these places to have historical significance because they knew the state would change rapidly,” said Alagona, who is the faculty advisor for Kenneth S. […]
NRS Fair marks 50th anniversary
The Natural Reserve System brought a taste of the science, art, teaching, and natural wonders of its 39 reserves to the heart of downtown Oakland this Tuesday, August 11, for the NRS Fair. Hundreds of visitors flocked to the outdoor terrace at UC’s Office of the President to attend. They chatted with graduate student researchers, […]
No Fukushima radiation found in California kelp
Scientists working to measure radiation released after the April 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan have seen no signs of nuclear contamination along the West Coast of the United States. Researchers participating in the Kelp Watch 2014 project announced the news after analyzing the first batch of samples collected earlier this spring. Kelp Watch 2014 […]