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Bren School of Environmental Science & Management

dolphin swimming with plastic bag on fin
Photo Credit
Joao Vianna/Getty Images

A new study in Science maps out a comprehensive plan to eliminate plastic pollution by 2050

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a large industrial fishing vessel surrounded by seabirds
A trawler off the coast of South Africa

A ‘fish cartel’ for Africa could benefit the countries, and their seas
A large pile of small blue plastic objects rises from a relief map of Manhattan
Photo Credit
Courtesy Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
This image of a blue plastic pile represents the cumulative amount of plastic waste that would be generated between 2010 and 2050 — enough to cover the entire island of Manhattan, and ten times the height of the Empire State Building — under a business-as-usual scenario where no aggressive policy actions are taken.

A ‘Paris Agreement for plastic’ could slash plastic pollution to almost zero
NSF director at the Engineering Sciences Building
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan speaking at the Engineering Sciences Building

Innovation anywhere, opportunities everywhere
Rows of bikes are seen in the foreground, with palm trees and a modern building in the back
Photo Credit
Elena Zhukova

From impact to academics to outcomes, UC Santa Barbara ranks among the nation’s top universities
Palms blow in a storm.
Photo Credit
ChiehCheng via iStock
The El Niño Southern Oscillation influences weather patterns across the world.

El Niño and La Niña multi-year events could become more common
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Professor Kyle Meng will serve as a senior economist in Washington
A scalloped hammerhead prowls a reef in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, Ecuador.
Photo Credit
Lopazanski et al.
The Galapagos Marine Reserve is one of many marine protected areas around the globe that safeguards biodiversity, cultural heritage and marine resources.

Theory meets practice: Marine protected areas overwhelmingly manage with climate change in mind
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NCEAS's Alexandra Phillips has been awarded the first Legislative Branch Fellowship in Climate Science by the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Burning hillside at Sedgwick Preserve
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
A flame torched hillside at Sedgwick Reserve is the site of a prescribed burn.

Taming Fire: Controlled burns can be a boon to our landscape
school of bluefin tuna

New research finds that more than 90% of global aquaculture faces substantial risk from environmental change
two students in blue commencement garb
Photo Credit
Matt Perko

‘Stewards of our fragile and precious environment,’ Bren students lauded at Commencement
A fishing boat deploys its nets accompanied by a flock of gulls.
Photo Credit
Split Second Stock
Fishermen and regulatory agencies will need to adapt when marine heatwaves impact the ranges and population levels of targeted species.

Lessons from ‘The Blob’ will help us manage fisheries during future marine heatwaves
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