What's Current in

Environment + Sustainability

A scuba diver conducts surveys surrounded by bright orange Garibaldis.
Photo Credit
author Jennifer Caselle
California's network of marine reserves enables conservation and management without closing large areas of the ocean.

California’s marine protected areas boost fish populations across the state

Read Article

Professor David Tilman
Photo Credit
UC Santa Barbara
David Tilman

Professor David Tilman awarded National Medal of Science for revealing the importance of biodiversity
A dark salamander sits on a gloved hand.
Photo Credit
Brooklyn Stone
Noel the northwestern salamander hitched a ride on a Christmas tree from the Pacific Northwest to sunny Santa Barbara.

From forest to living room: How Christmas trees can transport wildlife across states
Textile waste fills a dump in Bangladesh.
Photo Credit
Bdspn via iStock
Textile waste has become a major source of plastic pollution, with lower-income countries shouldering the brunt of the problem.

Apparel industry leaks millions of tons of plastic into environment each year
In Focus placeholder

Six UCSB researchers named among world’s most influential scientists
Coconut palms stretch into the distance framed by tropical blue waters.
Photo Credit
PeaceMan via iStock
Coconut palms account for more than one third of forested areas on Fakarava Atoll, French Polynesia, which falls far short of the region’s most heavily impacted atolls.

After decades of plantation agriculture, coconut palms dominate over half of Pacific atoll forests
blue whale tail
Photo Credit
Courtesy Image

Researchers paint a global picture of whale-ship collision risk
hand holding a cutout of the world map as a plate

Revealing the hidden costs of what we eat
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
Three mountain yellow-legged frogs perched on a rock.
Photo Credit
Roland Knapp
The Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog is recovering in Yosemite, a beacon of hope for amphibian conservation.

Frog populations once decimated by disease mount a major comeback
A line of clouts stretches from the tropical Pacific to western North America where it becomes a massive storm.
Photo Credit
Stuart Rankin via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)
The Pineapple Express — an atmospheric river originating in the tropical Pacific — walloped western North America in February 2017. These systems are becoming more frequent at higher latitudes, leaving mid latitudes drier.

Atmospheric rivers are shifting toward the poles, possibly following a long-term cycle
In Focus placeholder

UC Santa Barbara joins consortium of universities carrying out Earth system research
A close-up view of fluorescent coral.
Photo Credit
Anemone via AdobeStock
Coral underpin ecosystems as vibrant as they are. But these iconic animals face many challenges in the 21st century.

UC Santa Barbara leads $1.3-million research project on coral regeneration
Subscribe to Environment + Sustainability