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Ocean and Beaches

On the water and on the sand, our research explores ocean health and evolution so we can better understand how to protect and preserve the largest area of Earth.

A shark fin sticks out of the ice at a fish market.
Photo Credit
enginakyurt11 via iStock
Small and easily stored, shark fins can be far more valuable than the rest of the animal’s carcass.

Combining fishing regulations and trade data reveals the complex global market for shark products

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Christopher Costello
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
Christopher Costello

Christopher Costello recognized for his pioneering work in environmental markets
a view of the Black Sea

UCSB-led international team evaluates anoxic marine basins as potential sites for carbon sequestration
giant kelp in the water

Disturbance has a greater effect on giant kelp productivity than does resource availability
An illustration of two fishes with the skin unwrapped to reveal the internal anatomy: skeleton on the left and organs on the right.
Photo Credit
Jessica Eggers
With its fantastical illustrations and offbeat humor, "Gonzo Ichthyology" leads readers through topics in fish biology and other flights of fancy.

Ichthyology meets ‘Through the Looking Glass,’ in pen and ink
sand dunes against an ocean background

California has lost more than half of its coastal sand dunes, first-ever comprehensive assessment reveals
Whitecaps stir up on the ocean surface under dark clouds
Photo Credit
Oporkka via iStock
Climate dynamics can be quite nuanced, with far off winds influencing tropical oceans.

Distant winds can drive massive tropical warming deep below the ocean surface
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
giant kelp on a sandy beach

Kelp forests connected to sandy beach food webs
hands holding a tiny crab
Photo Credit
Matt Perko

Beyond the Classroom: The Research Experience and Education Facility (REEF)
underwater photo of a coral reef

Researchers uncover a ‘treasure trove’ of bioactive molecules in coral reefs
two researchers in blue, one holding a crab
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
Sophia Lecuona Manos, right, is one of several student researchers who discovered a new crab egg predator in the lab of UCSB parasitologist Armand Kuris, left, holding a yellow rock crab.

UCSB students discover new crab egg predator
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