Explore the latest research, breakthroughs, and real-world impact from our labs, field sites, and partnerships. From ecosystem science to policy influence, see how our work is making waves far beyond the shoreline.
On her first day of graduate school, Karolina Zabinski rose at 4:00am. She spent the day on the muddy shores of Tomales Bay, collecting eelgrass for a survey of aquatic plant diseases. These ribbon-like seagrasses are common along the California coast and form knee-high meadows that undulate in the water.
While they cover less than 1% of the ocean’s surface, the world’s four major upwelling zones are biological powerhouses. Located along the coasts of California, Chile, Portugal, and South Africa, these Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS) drive cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface, supporting massive populations of fish, birds, and mammals.
Why are there so many species of coral reef fish? According to a new study, it’s because about 50 million years ago, some fish figured out how to bite food from hard surfaces.
Conducting environmental science in a time of rapid climate change can be like a game of Whac-a-Mole. Just as you get close, the focus moves, burns, melts or disappears.
Mikaila Hishaw, a fourth-year marine and coastal science major from Tucson, Arizona, arrived at UC Davis with plans to become a veterinarian. She soon discovered that research offered not just a new way to work with animals but also an avenue to explore her curiosity beyond the classroom.
California’s Bay Area may be a culinary hot spot for people, but food options for fish in the San Francisco Estuary have been limited and declining in recent decades. A study from the University of California, Davis, shows there is a part of the estuary that is teeming with fish food — the managed wetlands of Suisun Marsh.
Seven weaned elephant seal pups in California’s Año Nuevo State Park tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed Tuesday evening.
Their study systems are spread far and wide, from the inner delta to the coast and out into the open ocean, but their work is united in themes of change and community. Dr. John Durand, Dr. Hollis Jones, and Nicholas Trautman are all working to observe, understand, and apply science to a changing world.
Coral reefs make up less than 1% of ocean habitat but are home to at least 25% of marine species. These incredibly biodiverse ecosystems are increasingly threatened by human actions, including anthropogenic climate change.
When oceanographer Tessa Hill was asked to join the Climate Crisis Advisory Group (CCAG) as an advisor, she was surprised by the reason. The global group, formed in 2021 with the vision of acting as a bridge between the latest climate science and policymakers, was interested in Hill’s background expertise in methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
