Santa Cruz Naturalist
96 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago -Santa Cruz Naturalist invites listeners to join UCSC Ecology and Evolutionary Biology graduate students as they explore nature in and around Santa Cruz County. Each episode will enrich your next experience with nature as you learn fascinating insights (from local experts) about the creatures that inhabit your favorite hiking trails, beaches and even your own backyard.
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Episodes
Steelhead Trout
February 20, 2024 18:00 - 4 minutes - 7.35 MBIn this week's episode, host Frankie Gerraty chats with Georgia Third, a fisheries ecologist and PhD student at UC Santa Cruz. They chat about genetics, snorkeling in rivers, and all things steelhead trout.
Wildflowers (Part 2)
January 16, 2024 18:00 - 4 minutes - 7.35 MBThis episode is part 2 of our conversation with Julia Harenčár, a botanist, evolutionary biologist, and PhD candidate at UC Santa Cruz. Frankie and Julia discuss weeds, evolution, and Julia's favorite plants!
Wildflowers (Part 1)
January 09, 2024 17:00 - 4 minutes - 7.35 MBIn this episode, host Frankie Gerraty interviews Julia Harenčár, a botanist, evolutionary biologist, and PhD candidate at UC Santa Cruz. They discuss when and where to find wildflowers in Santa Cruz county, and how to identify them!
Birds love aquaculture! Pt 2
December 19, 2023 00:03 - 3 minutes - 3.27 MBIn this week's episode with host Niki Sridhar, we continue our conversation with Keenan Chau-Pech on effects of aquaculture facilities in Tomales Bay on the entire ecosystem!
Birds love aquaculture!
October 10, 2023 14:00 - 4 minutes - 3.75 MBOn this episode, host Niki Sridhar interviews undergraduate researcher Keenan Chau-Pech on his recent project looking at ecosystem services of aquaculture facilities in Tomales Bay. Spoiler alert: birds are attracted to habitat created by aquaculture gear!
Bioluminescence
August 22, 2023 17:00 - 3 minutes - 5.54 MBThis week, hosts Frankie Gerraty and Nikka Malakooti discuss the biology underpinning the unique bioluminescence currently taking place along the Santa Cruz coastline.
Sea Otter Drama
July 18, 2023 17:00 - 3 minutes - 5.54 MBIn otter news, Frankie Gerraty covers a developing story about "841," a southern sea otter who has gotten too comfortable with humans—so comfortable, in fact, that she has been stealing surfboards!
Fence Ecology
April 18, 2023 17:00 - 3 minutes - 5.54 MBIn this episode, host Frankie Gerraty discusses the ecological effects of one of the most common and widespread human infrastructures: fencing.
Fire Ecology and Cultural Burning - Part 2
February 28, 2023 18:00 - 4 minutes - 7.35 MBIn this week's episode, host Frankie Gerraty continues his conversation with Nicolás Cruz about prescribed and cultural burning.
Fire Ecology and Cultural Burning - Part 1
February 21, 2023 18:00 - 4 minutes - 7.35 MBIn this episode, host Frankie Gerraty talks to fire ecologist Nicolás Cruz about forest fires, cultural burning, and his research on the role of fire in wetland ecosystems.
The Afterlives of Trees: Driftwood Ecology
January 17, 2023 18:00 - 4 minutes - 7.35 MBIn this episode, host Frankie Gerraty discusses the important ecological roles that fallen trees play as they move from forests to rivers to oceans.
Once common, now elusive: The Sunflower Seastar
January 10, 2023 03:42 - 3 minutes - 2.82 MBOn today's episode, host Niki Sridhar talks about the sunflower seastar. A now critically endangered species that plays an important role in kelp forest dynamics.
Oyster Restoration in Elkhorn Slough
December 20, 2022 17:00 - 4 minutes - 7.35 MBThis week on the Santa Cruz Naturalist, Frankie talks to Moss Landing Marine Labs masters student Jacob Harris about ongoing efforts to restore Olympia oyster populations in Elkhorn Slough.
Eavesdropping on Life in the Deep Sea
November 23, 2022 01:21 - 4 minutes - 7.35 MBThis week on the Santa Cruz Naturalist, Frankie talks to UCSC marine mammal biologist Allison Payne about ocean acoustics and eavesdropping on rare, deep-ocean whales.
Seabirds and Conservation, Part 2
November 15, 2022 10:34 - 5 minutes - 2.49 MBNiki Sridhar continues her conversation with Aspen Ellis, discussing conservation strategies for protecting seabird populations.
Seabirds and Conservation, Part 1
November 08, 2022 10:32 - 3 minutes - 1.5 MBOn this episode, Niki Sridhar speaks with PhD student at UC Santa Cruz, Aspen Ellis, about the life of a seabird ecologist and why seabirds are quite an extraordinary taxonomic group!
Norris Center Naturalists - Dr. Gizelle Hurtado, Part 2
November 02, 2022 03:00 - 3 minutes - 2.92 MBIn this week's episode of Santa Cruz Naturalist, Chloe wraps up their series on the Norris Center by speaking with Dr. Gizelle Hurtado about community and outreach events, and where the field of natural history is going over the next 20 years. Even though this series is at an end, you can still visit the Norris Center! For more information, including the current operating hours, check out https://norriscenter.ucsc.edu/
Norris Center Naturalists - Dr. Gizelle Hurtado, Part 1
October 25, 2022 15:00 - 3 minutes - 3.35 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Chloe sits down with Dr. Gizelle Hurtado, Assistant Director of the Norris Center. We hear about Dr. Hurtado's background and some of the amazing work she does at the Norris Center
Norris Center Naturalists: Dr. Andy Kulikowski, Part 2
October 20, 2022 22:02 - 4 minutes - 3.74 MBChloe continues their conversation with Dr. Andy Kulikowski, the lead entomologist at the Kenneth S. Norris Center for Natural History at UC Santa Cruz. Dr. Kulikowski talks about how the Norris Center interfaces with education and conservation, and tells us about some interesting specimens in the museum. Norris Center Fall 2022 hours: Monday - Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 2pm
Seabirds and Wind Energy
October 18, 2022 08:18 - 9 minutes - 4.46 MBIn this episode, Niki Sridhar speaks with UC Santa Cruz PhD student, Aspen Ellis all about seabirds. Tune in and learn about the importance of seabirds in the ecosystem and different seabird conservation techniques.
Norris Center Naturalists: Dr. Andy Kulikowski, Part 1
October 11, 2022 13:00 - 5 minutes - 4.44 MBChloe interviews expert entomologist Dr. Andy Kulikowski, to talk about his background as a naturalist and the future of natural history.
Norris Center Naturalists: Dmitrius Rodriguez, Part 2
September 20, 2022 19:48 - 4 minutes - 4.06 MBIn this week's episode, and the second in the Norris Center series, Chloe continues her interview with Dmitrius Rodriguez, and together they speculate about the future of natural history.
Fungus on the Brain: Part 1
August 22, 2022 04:50 - 4 minutes - 7.49 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Nikka interviews Chloe Rickards, M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, about the mind-controlling Cordyceps fungus, which served as the inspiration for their award-winning entry for the Coha-Gunderson Prize in Speculative Futures at the UCSC Humanities Institute. To see the pieces we reference, check out Chloe's Instagram: @clo.makes.art
An Appetite for Algae: Part 2
August 22, 2022 00:13 - 3 minutes - 3.42 MBIn this second-parter interview with Sarah Mastroni, we learn more about the red algae responsible for lowering methane emissions from dairy cows.
Norris Center Naturalists: Dmitrius Rodriguez, Part 1
August 16, 2022 08:51 - 5 minutes - 4.76 MBIn this week's episode of Santa Cruz Naturalist, and the first installment of the Norris Center Naturalist series, Chloe talks with Dmitrius Rodriguez about natural history, community science, and more.
Whale, Hello There!
July 20, 2022 15:00 - 2 minutes - 2.63 MBIn this episode of Santa Cruz Naturalist, Chloe briefly talks about humpback whale mothers and behaviors.
Amazing Jays
June 21, 2022 15:00 - 3 minutes - 3.06 MBThis week in Santa Cruz Naturalist, Chloe talks about two native birds: the California scrub jay and the Steller's Jay
Rocking Out in Santa Cruz, Part 2
May 17, 2022 15:00 - 3 minutes - 3.47 MBChloe continues their conversation with Quinn Todzo, a geotechnical engineer. Tune in to learn about the Marble Caves, and what makes Santa Cruz geology special.
Rocking Out in Santa Cruz, Part 1
April 19, 2022 14:00 - 3 minutes - 3.48 MBThis week at Santa Cruz Naturalist, Chloe Rickards chats with Quinn Todzo about the geological history of the Santa Cruz Mountains and the sandstone formations at Castle Rock State Park. Learn more about geology with Quinn at his podcast, The Rock Behind the Climb. Episode 1 goes into a deep dive of the Santa Cruz Mountains and Castle Rock State Park
An Appetite for Algae
April 13, 2022 17:32 - 4 minutes - 7.53 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Nikka interviews UCSC masters student Sarah Mastroni, who is working with Blue Ocean Barns on using red algae to make cows more climate-friendly!
An Appetite for Algae: Part 1
April 13, 2022 17:32 - 4 minutes - 7.53 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Nikka interviews UCSC masters student Sarah Mastroni, who is working with Blue Ocean Barns on using red algae to make cows more climate-friendly!
Sea Change: Episode 6
March 07, 2022 23:00 - 4 minutes - 7.72 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, we will be airing Sea Change, a 6 part series from the 2021 Global Change Ecology class at the University of California Santa Cruz. Each episode explores local climate change issues right here in Santa Cruz, CA. Sea Change is written and produced by UCSC undergraduate students under the guidance of Dr. Kristy Kroeker. Episode 6 focuses on marine heat waves.
Sea Change: Episode 5
February 28, 2022 22:00 - 4 minutes - 8.17 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, we will be airing Sea Change, a 6 part series from the 2021 Global Change Ecology class at the University of California Santa Cruz. Each episode explores local climate change issues right here in Santa Cruz, CA. Sea Change is written and produced by UCSC undergraduate students under the guidance of Dr. Kristy Kroeker. Episode 5 focuses on phenology.
Sea Change: Episode 4
February 14, 2022 22:00 - 4 minutes - 8.12 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, we will be airing Sea Change, a 6 part series from the 2021 Global Change Ecology class at the University of California Santa Cruz. Each episode explores local climate change issues right here in Santa Cruz, CA. Sea Change is written and produced by UCSC undergraduate students under the guidance of Dr. Kristy Kroeker. Episode 4 focuses on ocean deoxygenation.
Sea Change: Episode 3
February 07, 2022 22:00 - 4 minutes - 8.17 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, we will be airing Sea Change, a 6 part series from the 2021 Global Change Ecology class at the University of California Santa Cruz. Each episode explores local climate change issues right here in Santa Cruz, CA. Sea Change is written and produced by UCSC undergraduate students under the guidance of Dr. Kristy Kroeker. Episode 3 focuses on ocean acidification.
Sea Change: Episode 2
February 01, 2022 02:01 - 4 minutes - 8.31 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, we will be airing Sea Change, a 6 part series from the 2021 Global Change Ecology class at the University of California Santa Cruz. Each episode explores local climate change issues right here in Santa Cruz, CA. Sea Change is written and produced by UCSC undergraduate students under the guidance of Dr. Kristy Kroeker. Episode 2 focuses on wildfires.
Sea Change: Episode 1
January 25, 2022 02:00 - 4 minutes - 7.94 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, we will be airing Sea Change, a 6 part series from the 2021 Global Change Ecology class at the University of California Santa Cruz. Each episode explores local climate change issues right here in Santa Cruz, CA. Sea Change is written and produced by UCSC undergraduate students under the guidance of Dr. Kristy Kroeker. Episode 1 focuses on range shifts.
Phytoplankton: Tiny organisms, big impact
December 27, 2021 19:00 - 4 minutes - 6.44 MBThis week, Sara talked with Dr. Alexis Fischer, an associate scientist at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and a visiting scientist at NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center. If you've spent a lot at the ocean, you've probably encountered an algal bloom that turned the water dark and opaque for a few days. But not all algal blooms are harmful. Tune in to learn about the hidden world of phytoplankton, why they bloom, and when a bloom is considered harmful.
A History Lesson: Abalone in California
December 14, 2021 02:00 - 4 minutes - 7.67 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Emily interview PhD student, Ben Walker. Before starting his PhD, Ben worked as a technician on the endangered white abalone at UC Davis. Tune in to hear the history of abalone in California!
COP 26
November 16, 2021 02:00 - 4 minutes - 7.67 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Emily interviews Dr. Kristy Kroeker about COP 26. Dr. Kroeker is an Associate Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz. Her research focuses on the ecological impacts of global climate change and ocean acidification.
Hanging Ten With Santa Cruz Surfperches: Part 1
October 19, 2021 03:00 - 3 minutes - 7.08 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Emily interviews PhD candidate, Jason Toy, about a local genus of fishes, the surfperches. In this episode, Jason, explains how important and interesting these fishes are. In part two of our interview, he'll tell us more about how and why he uses surfperches to study adaptation right here in our own Monterey Bay. Tune in on November 16th to hear more!
Ctenophores and the Tree of Life, Part 2
October 13, 2021 05:58 - 4 minutes - 9.67 MBIn the second part of Nikka's chat with Dr. Darrin Schultz, we go big picture. Find out why ctenophores hold the key to understanding how important animal features, like brain cells, came to be.
Ctenophores and the Tree of Life, Part 1
October 13, 2021 05:18 - 3 minutes - 8.23 MBNikka interviews Dr. Darrin Schultz, a research scientist at MBARI, about ctenophores, also known as comb jellies. He helps us get to know these beautiful animals - look out for part 2, when we'll learn more about how studying ctenophores can teach us about animal evolution.
Fossils!
September 27, 2021 18:00 - 4 minutes - 7.89 MBThis week, Sara talked with Kathleen Aston, the Collections Manager for the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. The museum displays many aspects of the natural world, but here we focus on fossils--where you can find them around Santa Cruz and what history they reveal.
Kelp Forest Critters: Meet the Abalone
September 21, 2021 23:00 - 4 minutes - 7.35 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Emily interviews UCSC PhD student, Ben Walker, about abalone. Before starting his PhD, Ben worked as a technician on the endangered white abalone at UC Davis. Tune in to hear what makes abalone one of the coolest mollusks in ocean!
A Sea of Salps
August 10, 2021 18:00 - 3 minutes - 6.67 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Nikka Malakooti gives us an introduction to salps, beautiful gelatinous organisms found filter feeding, jet-propelling, and occasionally causing mayhem in oceans around the world.
Tidepooling in Santa Cruz, Part 3
August 03, 2021 19:00 - 2 minutes - 5.18 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Emily Donham introduces listeners to one of Monterey Bays most common intertidal invertebrates, the California mussel. Mussels are important foundation species, creating habitat for diverse assemblages of seaweeds and animals.
Does Behavior Play a Role in Creating Urchin Barrens?
July 13, 2021 02:00 - 3 minutes - 7.22 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Emily Donham chats with UCSC Ecology and Evolutionary Biology PhD candidate Casey Sheridan about his work on sea urchins. Casey shares how sea urchin behavior might impact how (and where) they get their dinner.
Coralline Algae: The Unsung Hero of Our Reefs
June 15, 2021 02:00 - 4 minutes - 7.35 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Emily chats with UCSC PhD candidate Lauren Bell about coralline algae. Lauren explains what coralline algae are and why they're so important in all marine ecosystems.
Tidepooling in Santa Cruz, Part 2
June 08, 2021 03:00 - 2 minutes - 4.77 MBThis week on Santa Cruz Naturalist, Emily introduces listeners to one of her favorite seaweeds, Postelsia palmata, commonly known as the sea palm. Sea palms can be found right here in the Monterey Bay. Listen in to learn more!