Studies show importance of deep-sea elements to microbial marine life in the Santa Barbara Basin
Ocean chemistry of iron, sulfur and nitrogen processes in deep waters off Santa Barbara County are essential to the marine ecosystem
Marine Center
eDNA reveals unique fish communities in Southern California seagrass meadows
Southern California’s seagrass meadows, often mistaken for seaweed, are marine havens for a staggering array of fish. This new UCLA-led study reveals unique fish communities across different seagrass locations, highlighting their vital role in coastal ecosystems.
Sea urchins help tropical coral reefs recover, study finds
Sedimentation and reduced fish populations cause algal overgrowth that threatens coral resilience
Warming and acidification form dual threat to corals
UCLA-led research finds that stress from rising water temperatures reduces their ability to adapt
EVENTS
Special Event
Out of Plain Sight
Co-presented with the UCLA Hammer Museum, Department of Media Arts and the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
From the Los Angeles Times and Pulitzer Prize-finalist Rosanna Xia, Out of Plain Sight is a cinematic exposé of an environmental disaster lurking just off the coast of Southern California.
Special Event
The Sea Within Us: Caring for the Deep
Co-presented with the UCLA Hammer, Department of Media Arts and the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
We are pleased to invite you and members of the UCLA IoES community to The Sea Within Us: Caring for the Deep at the Hammer Museum on Thursday, May 21, 2026, featuring UCLA IoES faculty member Tina Treude.
NEWS
Headline
Paul Barber & Zachary Gold in UCLA Newsroom, UCLA scientists help simplify DNA testing for tracking marine species
“eDNA is a really powerful tool for providing insights into the plants and animals inhabiting an ecosystem,” said Paul Barber, a UCLA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, member of…
Oysters as Catch of the Day? Perhaps not, if ocean acidity keeps rising
UCLA research explores how shell-forming marine species respond to acidification
UCLA research shows how carbon-filled oceans affect a tiny but important organism
Coccolithophores are fundamental to marine ecosystems and the global carbon cycle
Awards
Paul Barber’s research article on sushi ‘fish fraud’ among most downloaded
The article, published in Conservation Biology, was downloaded 1,751 times in the 12 months following its publication.
Coral reefs in hot water as warming events slow recovery
The hardy marine invertebrates can survive bleaching but their growth is slowed, study finds
Headline
Public Exhibit on the Oxygen Minimum Zone in the Santa Monica Basin
Within the framework of our USC Sea Grant project (PIs: William Berelson, USC & Tina Treude, UCLA) about the potential spreading of the Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ) in the Santa…
