Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
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Diverse scents of woodland star wildflowers driven by coevolution with pollinators
Scientists found a surprising diversity of floral scent compounds produced by different species of woodland stars and even by populations of the same species in different locations.
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Idled farmland presents habitat restoration opportunities in San Joaquin Desert
Land no longer suitable for agriculture could be reclaimed as habitat for dozens of endangered species, according to a new analysis.
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Environmental, social changes shift how elephant seals communicate
UC Santa Cruz Ph.D. candidate Caroline Casey retraced biologist Burney Le Boeuf’s scientific footsteps and discovered the seals’ threat calls no longer had geographic distinctions. Instead, as the northern elephant seal population had increased, the males’ calls had grown more individualized and complex.
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Study reveals importance of ‘cryptic connections’ in disease transmission
Innovative study of fungal disease in bats quantifies unseen interactions that play a key role in the spread of disease through populations and between species.
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Escape responses of coral reef fish obey simple behavioral rules
Loom-sensitive neural circuits characterized in previous lab studies are shown to underlie complex evasive behaviors observed in a natural environment.
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Researchers plant baby oysters at Elkhorn Slough
First attempt in California to restore native oysters through aquaculture is led by Kerstin Wasson, adjunct professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz.
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Creating a culture shift in fieldwork
A workshop designed by a UC Santa Cruz professor and Ph.D. student aims to help scientists learn how to prevent and deal with sexual assault and harassment in field settings, where researchers often work in harsh conditions and close quarters miles from help.
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Three UCSC professors honored as Fellows of the California Academy of Sciences
Biologist Beth Shapiro and astronomers Claire Max and Natalie Batalha are among 14 new fellows elected to the California Academy of Sciences for 2018.
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Alumni Profile: Author-naturalist Christian Schwarz crusades on behalf of the planet
With his smart phone in hand, Christian Schwarz is empowering “citizen scientists” to document today’s biodiversity in hopes of inspiring action before it’s too late.


