What's Current in

Ecology Evolution and Marine Biology

sunlight shines through a swimming jellyfish
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iStock

Adaptive molecular convergence more common than previously thought

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Storm clouds gather over the ocean.
Photo Credit
Photo by Daniel Lerman on Unsplash
Strong storms and higher seas from El Niño exacerbate winter hazards in Southern California.

Understanding the causes and impacts of 2026’s record-breaking El Niño
Elephant bones lay scattered around a bare patch on the African savanna with mountains in the background.
Photo Credit
Courtney Reed
An elephant transforms the spot where it dies, with a legacy that lasts long after the body is gone and the bones are scattered.

Elephants continue to shape the savanna even after death
Leander Anderegg sits on the stairs to the left of Kelly Caylor and David Valentine.
Leander Anderegg, Kelly Caylor, and David Valentine have all been recognized by the American Geophysical Union for their work.

Three UCSB researchers recognized for contributions to the earth sciences
a hand cradles a lit lightbulb against a sunset sky
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iStock

Six UCSB junior faculty members selected for 2026 NSF CAREER awards
A truck unloads waste on a landfill as a landfill compactor moves material nearby.
Photo Credit
Djedzura via iStock
Despite the known problems with plastic, society produces more of it every year. Scientists hope that mandatory measurement and reporting can help us address the issue.

Want a solution to plastic pollution? Scientists urge UN to require global reporting
Two Caribbean reef sharks swim past a coral-encrusted rock on a flat, sandy bottom in clear blue water.
Photo Credit
Photo by Alex Rose on Unsplash
Caribbean reef sharks are frequent denizens of Caribbean coral reefs, and their scales certainly find their way into the region’s sand.

Two oceans, one country, 20 times the number of sharks
giant kelp in the water

Disturbance has a greater effect on giant kelp productivity than does resource availability
A forest smothered in vines.
Photo Credit
Jonathan Hammond via iStock
Kudzu got a foothold in North America in 1876 and has since gotten a stranglehold on the forests of the Southeast.

Vast botanical data help solve Darwin’s puzzle of why some exotic plants become pests
a young lady with a yellow bandana sits at a table, smiling at the camera
Photo Credit
Courtesy Image

Schmidt Family Foundation renews multi-year funding of UCSB’s Environmental Solutions Fellows Program
a gray whale blows in in the San Francisco Bay
Photo Credit
Darrin Allen © NOAA Permit #26532
The new technology will detect whales by sensing the heat of their blows with thermal imaging

New AI system uses cameras and thermal sensors to steer ships clear of gray whales in the San Francisco Bay
Whale fluke, with cargo ship in background
Photo Credit
Asha de Vos

Global workshop focuses on protecting whales from ship strikes
wildfire smoke rises behind a row of houses

Wildfire resilience has always been the goal. Now it's a number
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