Rachel is a La Kretz Center Postdoctoral Fellow working with Dan Blumstein and Seth Riley on the effects of fire on mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation…
Awardee: Robert Cooper, PhD student in the Shaffer and Grether labs. Robert uses genomics to understand the ecological and evolutionary consequences of recent hybridization between the endangered California tiger salamander and a non-native salamander.
By 2050, the phrase “the motor of the economy” might be more apt than “the engine of the economy.” For now, however, the conventional wisdom[1] on electric vehicles is that…
In the face of widespread changes brought about by COVID-19, record-breaking wildfires across the west coast, and one of the most active Atlantic tropical storm seasons on record, the importance…
Our researchers are investigating the effects of climate change on heavy precipitation events in the state. Specifically, we're focusing on atmospheric rivers, moisture-laden filaments of air that move across oceans and produce heavy precipitation when they make landfall. Understanding how atmospheric rivers are affected in a changing climate is key to smart water planning in the future.
Awardee: Zack Gold, Ph.D. Candidate in Professor Paul Barber’s lab. Zack researches the effects of multiple human stressors on marine ecosystems using novel environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques.
This project analyzed the environmental and economic impacts of proposed state regulations for water use. This grant has high policy impact for managing urban water budgets. CCSC brings novel understandings about water use by urban park departments in California and how much is needed to maintain vegetation health with an emphasis on trees.
This 2019 Sustainable LA Grand Challenge Environmental Report Card for Los Angeles County Water provides an in-depth look at the region’s efforts to move toward a more resilient local water supply. This…
Awardee: Amanda Tokoyama, graduate student in the Lloyd-Smith lab. Amanda's research focuses on identifying the drivers of parasitism in coyotes across the Santa Monica Mountains and greater LA area.
Awardee: Brenton Spies, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Brenton's research primarily focuses on how environmental factors and anthropogenic impacts influence community level processes, hydrological dynamics, water quality, and the presence/absence of threatened and endangered species.
Awardees: Meixi Lin, second year Ph.D. student in the Wayne Lab, and Ana Garcia Vedrenne, Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology at UCSB. Ana is using DNA meta-barcoding to identify and quantify parasite and pathogen biodiversity in California ecosystems. Meixi is intrigued by how molecular biology tools could help resolve previously impossible wildlife conservation puzzles.
On November 8th, 2018 the Woolsey fire swept across the Santa Monica Mountains. It claimed 96,949 acres of undeveloped land in the mountains, making it the most extensive fire ever…
