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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Ocean scientist Christina Ravelo awarded AGU’s Maurice Ewing Medal
The American Geophysical Union's Ewing Medal is given annually in recognition of significant original contributions to the ocean sciences .
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UCSC partners in NSF research hub to use nature to protect coastal communities
A $20 million NSF grant funds the new Climate Risks and Equitable Nature-based Solutions Hub, focusing on coral reef and mangrove ecosystems.
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With Pivot Fellowship, astronomer J. Xavier Prochaska turns to oceanography
A new program from the Simons Foundation supports successful researchers who have a deep interest, curiosity, and drive to make contributions to a new discipline.
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‘Water’s Extreme Journey,’ a new exhibit at the Seymour Center, opens in September
A new exhibit opening in September at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center features a maze and interactive activities highlighting the challenges of keeping our water clean.
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NOAA scholarship supports graduate student’s seabird conservation research
Aspen Ellis, a Ph.D. student in ecology and evolutionary biology, is one of seven students nationwide selected by NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to receive a 2022 Nancy Foster Scholarship.
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Two UCSC grad students are finalists for prestigious Knauss Marine Policy Fellowships
The finalists for the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program include UCSC graduate students Austen Stovall and Ellen Willis‑Norton.
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Data from elephant seals reveal new features of marine heatwave ‘the Blob’
Instruments carried by migrating elephant seals measured deep warm-water anomalies that lasted much longer than the surface warming.
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Researchers track juvenile elephant seals for insights into mortality rates
An outreach program to bring science and scientists into K-12 classrooms is part of a study investigating the differences between male and female elephant seals.
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Narwhals show physiological disruption in response to seismic survey ship noise
Scientists deployed monitoring devices on narwhals to record heart rates, breathing, and diving behavior during seismic air gun pulses from a ship in the fjords of Greenland.
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Destruction and recovery of kelp forests driven by changes in sea urchin behavior
A long-term study of kelp forest dynamics on California’s Central Coast highlights the critical role of sea urchin behavior, not just the size of the urchin population.
