Climate & Sustainability
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Threat of California’s native tree loss is greater than current estimates
New study finds that many of the state’s valuable and most recognizable trees could decline sooner than expected because current risk calculations don’t incorporate climate change
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Researchers to measure atmospheric benefits of restored San Francisco Bay wetland
UC Santa Cruz will lend expertise in monitoring tidal marsh carbon levels once a 275-acre South Bay salt pond is converted back to its natural state, as part of a larger environmental campaign by multiple partners to restore lost tidal wetlands to San Francisco Bay.
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UC Santa Cruz pledges to become a “Clean California Community,” expands commitment to statewide beautification and environmental stewardship
The Clean California initiative is an effort to remove litter, restore public spaces, and inspire community engagement across California.
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Ancient DNA reveals Ice Age mammals thrived after volcanic eruption
UC Santa Cruz researchers were able to collect ancient DNA preserved in permafrost for insight into how a natural disaster impacted genetic diversity.
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Grants support DIY irrigation and smart, electric tractors for specialty crop growers
Two projects are receiving support from the USDA 2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
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The creation of the Cigarette Surfboard
Alumnus Ben Judkins’s (Kresge ’17, film and digital media) award-winning documentary follows the creation of the Cigarette Surfboard: A surfboard created by friend Taylor Lane from 10,000+ cigarette butts collected off beaches. Judkins’s documentary has helped influence legislation in Santa Cruz County, and will be screened at UC Santa Cruz on March 8.
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New study on avian malaria finds most of Hawaii’s birds contribute to deadly pathogen’s transmission
Research led by UC Santa Cruz finds that both non-native and native birds play a key role in the transmission of a disease that has contributed to the extinction of over a dozen species of Hawaii’s native birds
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Greener Greenhouses — a Q&A with Katia Obraczka
UC Santa Cruz professor Katia Obraczka’s Greener Greenhouses project uses energy-efficient IoT technology to precisely monitor greenhouse conditions, helping growers reduce water and energy use while improving crop production.
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Art confronts climate: A creative force in the environmental conversation
Groundbreaking art and science collaborations are reimagining how we understand—and survive in—a warming world.
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From Space to Soil, Alexie Leauthaud Bridges Cosmology and Environmentalism
UC Santa Cruz astronomer Alexie Leauthaud is bringing her cosmology expertise to climate action through Seed Spoon Science, a community-based gardening program focused on environmental justice and sustainability.
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Javier Gonzalez-Rocha maps air quality with drones
UCSC engineer Javier Gonzalez-Rocha is using drones and sensors to bring advanced air quality monitoring to underserved agricultural communities on California’s Central Coast.
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New study finds fishing-fleet movements can reveal marine-ecosystem shifts
UC Santa Cruz researchers show how vessel-tracking data mirrored tuna roaming beyond their typical territory due to unusually warm ocean temperatures