Meet the Protists, Marvelous Misfits in the Tree of Life
There are “plant-like,” “animal-like,” and “fungus-like” protists. But it’s surprisingly hard to say exactly what a protist is—these organisms are defined more by what they’re not.
The Ocean
King Tides Offer a Glimpse into the Future of Sea-Level Rise
King tides over 7 feet are coming to the Bay Area Jan. 21-22, 2023—and lucky for us, they’re happening at a reasonable time to go out and see them. Here’s...
How a ‘Sturgeon Surgeon’ Tracks the Bay’s Giant, Stealthy Living Fossils
Researchers are investigating the secrets of our two resident sturgeon species, which have razor-sharp armor and shlorp up clams with their vacuum-shaped mouths.
Why Sneaker Waves Are So Insidious
Every now and then, the ocean sneaks up on the land, with a wave that's bigger than all the rest. Scientists are working out where these dangerous waves come from.
To Count Seabirds From Above, Fly Slowly And Pack a Big Lens
Aerial wildlife surveys, conducted by the USGS to inform the coming offshore wind energy boom, are strikingly beautiful, for government data. They were also hard-won.
The Living Drill Bits That Grind Holes in Beach Rocks
The piddock clam makes its mark on the world at the rate of one millimeter per month.
In Bay of Life, an Internationally Renowned Media Duo Look to Their Monterey Backyard
With Bay of Life, Frans Lanting and Christine Eckstrom wanted to go past Monterey Bay's natural beauty to explore its past, present and possible futures.
Can We Have More Whales and Fewer Whale Strikes?
Anchovies sparkled and seawater sprayed from the crusty maws of gray whales as they burst through the surface, again and again, off the coast near Pacifica, fifteen miles south of...
How Your Beach Photos Are Helping CA Scientists: Snapshot Cal Coast 2022
This year's Snapshot Cal Coast featured 4,083 people logging 46,683 observations of almost 4,000 species into the iNaturalist app from June 13 to July 4.
Modeling the uncertain future of Northern California’s bull kelp forests
For two years, scientists at UC Davis have been modeling a “Field of Dreams” hypothesis about bull kelp to understand what approaches could best help the recovery of the kelp...
