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🌿🐠Updates from Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Advising at University of California, Santa Cruz🦉🌿
Got questions? Email us at [email protected]

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CALeDNA has been streaming all summer! Stream photo reel comin right up! Thanks to all the collaborators and volunteers far and wide that made this field season a success💗 #CALeDNA

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Update: this event is canceled. New date coming soon.

Disease is everywhere—in humans, animals, and the plants feeding the planet. And did you know that parasites can have their own parasites? 🦠🔬

Join us next Monday 9/14 at the Crepe Place in Santa Cruz for Science on Tap featuring @ucsc Ph.D. candidate Edith Lai.

She will dive into evolutionary ecology, plant pathology, and the fascinating world of hyperparasitism (parasites that infect other parasites), which can be used as a natural disease control method.

Everyone is welcome—no science degree or UCSC affiliation required. Grab some food, meet new people, and learn about cutting-edge research happening right here at UC Santa Cruz. ✨

🗓 When: Monday, September 14, 2026 at 6:00 PM

📍 Where: The Crêpe Place (1134 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA)

🎟️ Free and open to the public.

🔗 Learn more and RSVP at the link in our bio.

_____

Image description:
1. Portrait of Edith Lai
2. Powdery mildew on a plant. PC: Getty
3. Entrance to Crepe Place with two people walking in at night. PC: Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE A smiling Edith Lai with shoulder-length dark hair wears a striped sweater. She is outdoors near a rocky shoreline with the ocean in the background.

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So long Seaweed Summer! Drift back through our highlights as we send a big THANK YOU to all our partners who help bring our community together! Check out our September events lineup as we migrate into fall! https://santacruzmuseum.org/events/

Community Partners:
@costanoanrumsencarmeltribe
@areperia831
@mymomsmole
@wercmh
@seaottersavvy
@saveourshores
@bio450.451 | Pacific Plankton
@officialcityofsantacruz | Coast Resiliency
@ucsc.eeb
@seymour_center
@oneillseaoddyssey
@sunflowerstarlab
@kylene_gilmore | artist
@oliviathedoodlebug | artist
@flatfishpublishing | artist
@seaglassortho
@dreaminn_santacruz
@sunflowerstarlab
fullcirclefalconry

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Free admission and open bar! Seaweed pressing and microscopic plankton close ups! Join us now until 8pm for First Friday at the Museum

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Can we reduce flood risk while helping rivers function more naturally? 🏞️💧🐟

In this clip, geophysicist Andrew Fisher explains how innovative levee designs can do more than protect communities from flooding. They can also restore habitat, improve water quality, and support healthier river systems.

Watch the full episode through the link in bio 🔗

#ScienceSolutionsSantaCruz #SeymourCenter #UCSC #SciComm #SantaCruz

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Flood control, groundwater, and levees all have something in common with your home’s plumbing. 🪠👀

Our host and director, Jonathan uses a simple plumbing analogy to explore how rivers, levees, and groundwater are connected, while geophysicist Andrew Fisher helps unpack the science behind it.

Watch the full episode through the link in bio 🔗

#ScienceSolutionsSantaCruz #SeymourCenter #UCSC #SciComm #SantaCruz

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It's birds versus bees! 🐝

🌺 New research led by Kathleen Kay, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, looked deep into why tropical mountain flowers evolved to attract hummingbirds over bees. She debunked a decades-old myth that it was because high altitudes are too cold and wet for bees; instead, it turns out that hummingbirds are simply better at moving pollen!

These plants are actively evolving, and over generations, the flowers will change shapes, colors, and scents—to favor hummingbirds over bees. It’s an amazing example of adaptation, proving that massive evolutionary change (which can result in entirely new plant species!) happens without any major environmental changes.

To learn why hummingbirds are the better pollinators, check the link in our bio for the full story. 🔬🌿

#Pollinators #FlowerEvolution #Hummingbirds #PlantScience

Image descriptions:
1. Photo of a flame-tailed orchid bee that is vibrantly colored red and green, hovering in front of a tropical flower. Photo courtesy of Santiago Ramirez copyright via iNaturalist.org/photos/33126985
2. Close up snapshot of a green hermit hummingbird hovering over a bright pink and yellow tropical flower. Photo by mlharing via Getty.
3. A single red Costus spicatus flower growing in an island garden on a summer day, close-up side view with a tropical green plant background. Photo by NataKor via Getty. A bee that is green and red hovers in front of a tropical flower.

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How can we recharge groundwater while balancing the needs of people and ecosystems? 🌊🐟🌱

Groundwater is a hidden reservoir that supports farms, wildlife, and communities. But when everyone relies on the same water source, difficult tradeoffs emerge. In this week’s episode, geophysicist Andrew Fisher explains the “groundwater tug-of-war” and why what happens beneath our feet matters more than most people realize.

See link in bio 🔗 Watch now on our page 🔗

#ScienceSolutionsSantaCruz #SeymourCenter #UCSC #SciComm #SantaCruz

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What do top predators actually do when they’re left entirely to their own devices?🐈🌲

In this episode, Chris Wilmers shares incredible insights from years of local field tracking, comparing a puma’s natural pacing to some of our very own bad kitchen habits. Beyond the jokes, the discussion tackles the serious science of predator-prey dynamics in the Santa Cruz Mountains and how human presence disrupts these vital, week-long natural cycles.

Dive into the whole story by visiting the link in bio🔗

#AnimalBehavior #WildlifeTrackibg #Santa Cruz #ScienceSolutionsSantaCruz #SeymourCenter

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Commuting on Highway 17 is tough, but try navigating it when you’re looking for love.🛣️🙀

In this episode, wildlife ecologist Chris Wilmers explains how major roads act as strict boundary lines for Santa Cruz pumas, dividing territories right down the middle. But as it turns out, the idea of long-distance highway romance isn’t actually far from the truth.

The conversation dives deep into habitat fragmentation, how infrastructure shapes big cat behavior, and what it really takes for humans and apex predators to coexist in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Hear the wild story on the latest episode of our podcast. See link in bio🔗

#SantaCruzMountains #Coexistence #BayAreaNature #ScienceSolutionsSantaCruz #SeymourDiscoveryCenter

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Drop your vote below: Are you Team Mountain Lion, Team Cougar, or Team Puma?👇

Whatever you call them, these incredible big cats share our local landscape and coexisting with them takes a whole lot of science.🐾

Catch our full conversation with “The Puma Guy,” Chris Wilmers, himself on the latest episode of Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz. See link in bio🔗

#MountainLions #CaliforniaWildlife #ScienceSolutionsSantaCruz #SeymourCenter #WildlifeBiology

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Our Multimedia Science Communication Intern, Valarie Situ takes us behind the scenes of our latest podcast episode. You won’t want to miss this one!🎙️🥾

See link in bio🔗

#FieldDiary #BirdsofPrey #ScienceSolutionsSantaCruz #SeymourCenter #SantaCruz

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