Visionary in Marine Sciences
Ocean health and coastal sustainability are critical national and international issues, and marine scientists at UC Santa Cruz are leaders in addressing these challenges. UCSC has long been on the forefront of marine science research and education. With state-of-the-art facilities and internationally recognized faculty and researchers, the campus's Institute of Marine Sciences supports scientists in a wide range of disciplines. Their investigations range from microscopic plankton to massive blue whales, from the depths of the seafloor to the coastline, and from frigid polar waters to tropical coral reefs. This diversity reflects the many ways in which the oceans affect the global environment and the lives of people, in California and around the world. Through partnerships with state and federal agencies, environmental policy groups, and other organizations studying marine and coastal issues, UCSC has become a major hub for research, training, and outreach activities in marine science and conservation.
Latest news
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Optimizing coastal wetland restoration for carbon capture and storage
UCSC leads a large collaborative effort to develop guidelines for maximizing the effectiveness of coastal wetlands as a climate mitigation solution with multiple benefits.
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Researchers recover ancient mammoth tusk during deep-sea expedition
A team of researchers from UC Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and University of Michigan are studying the tusk retrieved from deep waters off the California coast.
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New book chronicles more than 50 years of elephant seal research at Año Nuevo Reserve
Professor Emeritus Burney Le Boeuf summarizes the findings of the UC Santa Cruz elephant seal research program, one of the longest running studies of any animal
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Researchers find whales eat more than expected
New estimates of how much whales eat suggest that past culling of the creatures by humans has contributed to broader declines in ecosystem health and productivity.
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Survivor salmon that withstand drought and ocean warming provide a lifeline for California Chinook
Late migration of outgoing juvenile fish is a crucial life history strategy for survival of spring-run Chinook salmon during drought years.
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Data-driven animations of marine mammals combine biology, art, and computation
New tools for data visualization can transform data from animal-borne tags into cinematic and informative animations of marine mammal behavior.
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Seagrass restoration study shows rapid recovery of ecosystem functions
Restored plots of eelgrass in Elkhorn Slough expanded rapidly, providing improved habitat for fish and invertebrates and other benefits of a healthy ecosystem.
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Emerging ocean conservation leaders set to visit UC Santa Cruz
The Blue Pioneers Program (BPP) Accelerator recently announced its 2021 cohort of international ocean conservation professionals who will visit UC Santa Cruz’s Coastal Science Campus.
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Long-term study of elephant seal reproduction shows population’s resilience
Researchers found that a female elephant seal’s age and experience were more important than ocean conditions in determining the condition of her pup at weaning.
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Biologist Roxanne Beltran wins prestigious Packard Fellowship
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has awarded a Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering to Roxanne Beltran, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz.
