Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
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Bird Flu Strikes California Elephant Seals for the First Time
Seven elephant seal pups at Año Nuevo State Park have tested positive for the virus, known as H5N1, becoming the first recorded cases in northern elephant seals. They are among about 30 seals that have died at the park since late last week and the first to have been tested, said Roxanne Beltran, an ecologist…
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Study tracks fishing boats to see how heat waves affect fish distribution
“We have so much data on fishing vessel activity,” study lead author Heather Welch, a marine spatial ecologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, said in a statement. “These data are traditionally used for surveillance, and it is exciting that they may also be useful for understanding ecosystem health.”
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This Diminutive Reptile Plays Rock-Paper-Scissors
Dr. Sinervo, who later joined the faculty at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and who died in 2021, grew fascinated by the strange mating habits of the lizards. At the start of every breeding season, the males developed one of three colors on their throats: blue, orange or yellow. And depending on their color,…
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First elephant seal pup of the season born in SLO County.
Supermoms account for more than half (55%) of the total pups born. Supermoms live longer, breed more frequently and raise bigger pups. Bernie LeBoeuf, now professor emeritus at UC Santa Cruz, led a research team that identified Supermoms in a 2019 scientific paper. Gingerbread’s mother chose a nice dry spot on the south beach.
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Researchers played elephant seals the calls of their nemeses. This is what happened next
“Male elephant seals come back to the exact same breeding location year after year and engage in competitive interactions with a number of familiar individuals,” says Caroline Casey, research scientist and adjunct professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in a statement. “It would make sense, then, that they would retain some memory of…
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Florida’s first offshore fish farms are coming. Are they floating hazards?
If Ocean Era is committed to preserving the environment, one net pen isn’t likely to harm the Gulf, said Rod Fujita, a marine ecologist at the University of California Santa Cruz. “The big question is, what happens after that?” Fujita said.
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What California’s big, gross elephant seals can teach us about life
“I mean, everything they do is extreme,” says Daniel Costa, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz. “They’re the deepest-diving pinniped and they dive for longer than any other seal or sea lion. They also fast for longer. Everything they do is just pushing the limits.”
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Kelp restoration film reveals extent of crisis, hope for recovery
UC Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience evolutionary biologist Malin Pinsky’s research is driven by the understanding of the severity of these kelp die-offs.
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Can a species ‘de-evolve’? Wild tomatoes in the Galápagos may provide compelling evidence
Beth Shapiro, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at University of California, Santa Cruz, said she finds the term to be a great way to engage more people in the concept of evolution.
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DNA from rum-soaked fishes chronicles century of environmental change
By comparing DNA in historic specimens with that in modern fish populations, researchers discovered that fishes grew scarcer and their genetic diversity declined. That’s worrisome, says Malin Pinsky of the University of California, Santa Cruz, because “genetic diversity provides the raw material for adaptation to novel conditions. Less genetic diversity means less ability to adapt…
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As Federal Government Retreats, A Private Fund to Save Sea Otters Steps in
“Adding sea otters completely changes the configuration of the food web and that has profound consequences for the structure of the nearshore ecosystem,” says Tim Tinker, an independent sea otter scientist who does research for the University of California at Santa Cruz. The Sea Otter Fund is financing Tinker’s work, recruiting him to model restoration…
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Climate change is driving fish stocks from countries’ waters to the high seas: Study
A new study found that more than half of the world’s straddling stocks will shift across the maritime borders between exclusive economic zones and the high seas by 2050. “It’s an important issue and an important paper that I think should make anyone concerned about fisheries or the seafood on their plate sit up and…