News | Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute & Bodega Marine Laboratory

Lost Sea Creatures Wash Up on California Shores as Ocean Climate Shifts

"Five years ago, the Gulf of Alaska warmed to record temperatures, likely due to a sudden acceleration in the melting of Arctic sea ice. Usually a cold southern current flows along California. That year, the warm “blob” spread down the coast and, instead of blocking tropical species from moving north, it served as a balmy welcome to a variety of animals far from home."

Marine Ecology

Dr. Tessa Hill awarded Academic Senate Distinguished Scholarly Public Service Award

Congratulations to Tessa M. Hill, who has been awarded an Academic Senate Distinguished Scholarly Public Service Award by the Davis Division of the Academic Senate.

Unprecedented Number of Warm-Water Species Moved Northward During Marine Heatwave

Tropical Species Near San Francisco? New Range Limit Records Indicate Future Face of California Coast

‘Science Uncorked’ Offers Window Seat to Nature in Bodega Bay

The “Science Uncorked” lecture series at the Gourmet Au Bay wine bar are the brainchild of Ellie Fairbairn and Kristin Aquilino, researchers at nearby Bodega Marine Labortory — part of UC Davis’ Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute. They coordinate the biweekly series independent of their work at BML, to communicate science to the public and inspire environmental stewardship.

Sloan Fellowship Will Help New Faculty Rachael Bay Understand How Marine Animals Respond to Warming Temperatures

Rachel Bay received a Sloan Foundation fellowship to fund research on the molecular mechanisms of thermal tolerance in corals, an increasingly critical physiological process as ocean temperatures shift and warming events occur.

Climate Change

Falling Stars - Once-Abundant Sea Stars Imperiled by Disease Along West Coast

Since 2013, sea star wasting disease has brought about massive mortality in multiple sea star species from Mexico to Alaska. The East Coast has not been immune, as the disease has affected the shores from New Jersey to New England.

SeaDoc Society Debuts New Video Series 1st Episode of ‘Salish Sea Wild’ Explores Steller Sea Lions

The SeaDoc Society invites viewers to explore the magnificent wildlife of the Pacific Northwest in a new adventure series called Salish Sea Wild, debuting Jan. 10. Salish Sea Wild is hosted by SeaDoc Science Director Joe Gaydos and will feature a new species or topic each month, starting with Steller sea lions in January.

Conservation

Blending In: Ecology Graduate Student Grace Ha Investigates Camouflage in Seagrass Meadows

“We’re in a region with a Mediterranean climate and upwelling— what’s cool is that both of these are associated with high levels of biodiversity,” says Grace Ha, an ecology Ph.D. student. In upwelling zones, nutrient-rich waters from the deep ocean are transported to coastal regions, which makes them hotspots for biodiversity.

Marine Ecology

Tree rings and deep-sea corals: Coral skeletons teach Foster Scholar Carina Fish about the past ocean

Deep-sea corals have some things in common with trees. As their branches grow, corals document the minute details of ocean chemistry in ring patterns like those in tree trunks. And like certain trees, some coral species can live for hundreds or even thousands of years, preserving their recording of past conditions. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar Carina Fish uncovers the records kept by deep-sea corals in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary for her Ph.D. at University of California, Davis.

Paleoclimate Research

Discovering Curiosity: Protecting Our Oceans from the Tiniest Toxins

BML Director Gary Cherr's research focuses on reproductive biology and environmental toxicology. He became an Aggie in the 1980s, when he enrolled at UC Davis for graduate studies in zoology. His latest research focuses on the effects of nanoparticles on marine life.

Environmental Toxicology