Assessing biodiversity indicators in Santa Monica
The City of Santa Monica has been ahead of the curve in terms of sustainability efforts. The city was the among the first to develop a sustainability report and provide…
Projects
Assessment of cumulative lead exposure in Los Angeles children
Lead is a potent neurotoxin that continues to endanger the health and wellbeing of communities across the greater Los Angeles area. Researchers have identified lead hazards present in soil and…
Creating a sustainable waste management plan for the Aquarium of the Pacific
U.S. landfills are drowning in an ocean of waste. While mismanagement of waste is harmful to the environment as a whole, it poses a particular threat to marine life. Plastic…
Creating Biological Objectives to monitor water quality in California
Protecting California’s water resources has never been more important. Climate change is pushing weather patterns to extremes, with scientists predicting increased floods and drought in California’s future. These events threaten…
Investigating the impact of California’s carbon cap and trade program on disadvantaged communities
California is recognized as a global leader in addressing the climate crisis. In 2006, the California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 32, requiring statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to reach…
Teenagers as Energy Conservation Stewards
The United States is the second largest global emitter of greenhouse gasses. Roughly 27 percent of the U.S.’ total emissions stem from production of electricity — second only to the…
Tracking the effects of oil and gas drilling on tribal communities
As existing oil and gas reserves dwindle, producers increasingly rely on well stimulation treatments, such as hydraulic fracturing or “fracking,” acid fracturing, and matrix acidizing, to extract remaining reserves. These…
Alternative Energy and Biodiversity
A U.S. Department of Energy Funded Project to Understand the Demographic Impacts of Solar Energy Sites on Migratory Bird Populations Increased solar energy production is a critical element of efforts…
Community Solar Opportunities Map
Where is the best place to put solar panels in your neighborhood? The solar opportunity map is a web tool built to assist community-based organizations to access data necessary to identify high potential sites for community solar or resiliency centers within LA County.
Effects of urbanization on the diet, gut microbiome and prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis)
Awardee: Vivien Enriquez, Ph.D. student in the Yeh Laboratory. Vivien's interests incorporate animal behavior, animal host-bacteria interactions, and environmental change.
Environmental DNA as a tool for assessing microbial diversity & ecological impacts by contaminants at The Bowtie parcel Brownfield site in Southern California
Awardee: Maura Palacios, Postdoctoral Scholar in the Wayne Lab. Maura's projects use eDNA to assess species assemblages in the Mojave Desert Springs, a threatened ecosystem and to explore microbial community changes in relation to hazardous materials at Brownfield sites throughout Southern California, for potential bioremediation practices.
Environmental Storytelling Collaboration with KCET
LENS has partnered with KCET, the nation's largest independent public media company to produce engaging, research-driven environmental stories.