Research and Impacts

Researching Corals in Bodega Bay?

What do you picture when you think of the California coast? Perhaps it’s the redwood-covered bluffs that plummet down to crashing waves, or the forests of kelp swaying along with the current. But the one thing that might not have come to mind has a surprising presence at UC Davis’ Bodega Marine Laboratory (BML): corals.

How Are They Biting?

Some reef fish have the unexpected ability to move their jaws from side to side, biologists at the University of California, Davis have discovered. This ability – which is rare among vertebrate animals – allows these fish to feed rapidly and efficiently on algae growing on rocks.

Traces in the Water

Tiny fragments of DNA permeate the air, soil, and water around us. This environmental DNA (eDNA) unlocks a non-invasive way to monitor biodiversity and detect species that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Bridging the Gap Between Research and Policy

Scientists at the UC Davis Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute discuss how their research informs and is influenced by policy, illustrating the complex relationship between science, management, and decision-making.

Making Space for White Abalone

White abalone have influenced cultural traditions, inspired regional cuisine, and moved generations of ocean lovers, but when overfishing pushed white abalone to the bring of extinction, humans and white abalone had to develop an entirely new relationship with each other.