Coastal Content

Science Helps Coastal Communities Prepare for Extremes

Katherine E Kerlin — May 17, 2023 - 10:18am

Long-term monitoring records at UC Natural Reserves, including �ٺ��Ƶ' Bodega Marine Reserve, can help coastal communities forecast climate change impacts.

Sea Otters Killed by Unusual Parasite Strain

Katherine E Kerlin — March 22, 2023 - 8:00am

An unusually severe form of toxoplasmosis killed four sea otters and could pose a threat to other marine wildlife and humans, finds a study from �ٺ��Ƶ and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Tons of Lost Fishing Gear Recovered off Southern California Coast

Katherine E Kerlin — June 07, 2022 - 9:15am

The California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project recovered more than 45 tons — 90,968 pounds — of lost, abandoned or otherwise discarded fishing gear along the Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego coasts and from around the Channel Islands in 2020 and 2021. The project is a program of the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center at the �ٺ��Ƶ School of Veterinary Medicine.

Invasive Species and Climate Change Impact Coastal Estuaries

Katherine E Kerlin — May 05, 2022 - 11:38am

Native species in California’s estuaries are expected to experience greater declines as invasive species interact with climate change.

Pathogens Can Hitch a Ride on Plastic to Reach the Sea

Katherine E Kerlin — April 26, 2022 - 8:00am

Microplastics are a pathway for pathogens on land to reach the ocean, with likely consequences for human and wildlife health. A �ٺ��Ƶ study is the first to connect microplastics in the ocean with land-based pathogens that carry diseases.

When ‘Eradicated’ Species Bounce Back With a Vengeance

Katherine E Kerlin — March 15, 2021 - 12:00pm

Some invasive species targeted for total eradication bounce back with a vengeance, especially in aquatic systems, finds a study led by the University of California, Davis.

A Fixed-Effort Fishery More Sustainable for Economy and Environment

Katherine E Kerlin — November 04, 2020 - 10:00am

For a truly sustainable fishery, more needs to be considered than just the abundance of the harvested species. Harvesting even abundant species can create indirect extinction cascades down the food web that can harm the long-term economic and ecological sustainability of a fishery.

That is according to a study from the University of California, Davis, published today in the journal Science Advances.

AAAS Press Briefing: Protecting the Health of Endangered Whales

Katherine E Kerlin — February 16, 2020 - 4:34pm

Marine mammal health is changing across the globe due to human activities and climate change. Increasing numbers of animals are dying from trauma, environmental pollution, disease and lack of food. Some populations have recovered while others face extinction.

Scientists and veterinarians from the University of California, Davis, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will hold a press briefing about new and ongoing efforts to protect marine mammal health, including that of endangered southern resident killer whales, North Atlantic right whales, and the vaquita.

Do Marine Protected Areas Work?

Katherine E Kerlin — July 17, 2019 - 10:43am

Marine protected areas, or MPAs, are an increasingly common way of protecting marine ecosystems by prohibiting fishing in specific locations. However, many people remain skeptical that MPAs actually benefit fish populations, and there has not yet been a way to demonstrate whether or not they are effective. Until now.

Where on Earth Is the Salish Sea?

Katherine E Kerlin — May 16, 2019 - 3:09pm

Less than half of the people in Washington and British Columbia have heard of the Salish Sea, even though they live alongside it.