What's Current in
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.
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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.
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Htrnr via iStock
Although sea otters only recently recolonized their historic habitat in the Elkhorn Sough, they’re already benefiting the ecosystem.
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Masayuki Agawa via OceanImageBank
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Ray Ford / Noozhawk
Flames from the Thomas Fire reflect in the waves just west of Ventura. Its proximity to the ocean provided researchers a unique opportunity.
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Courtesy of NPS
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Alexandra Phillips
The sulfate poor waters of Lake Superior could provide insights on the biochemistry of Earth's early ocean.
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A trawler off the coast of South Africa
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Gary M. Fellers/USGS
California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) surfaces in a pond in Point Reyes National Seashore, Calif.
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E. Lyman/ NOAA Sanctuaries
Less gear in the water means fewer chances for Whales to become entangled.
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Jacob Eurich
Fishers coming home on a paddle canoe after fishing on the fore reefs of Abaiang, Kiribati
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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.
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Karina Johnston
Beach bur, a native plant that helped to form dunes on a section of Santa Monica Beach in Los Angeles
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Elif Bayraktar via iStock
Diatoms are one of the largest groups of phytoplankton, which serve as a foundation of the ocean’s food web.