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2 weeks ago | 
phys.org | Collin Blinder |Lisa Lock |Robert Egan
As global temperatures rise, many species are scrambling to adapt—or risk extinction. Scientists refer to these animals as "species on the move," but new research suggests the scientific community may be overlooking the wide variety of ways these species are adapting.
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2 weeks ago | 
news.ucsc.edu | Collin Blinder
Most studies focus on a single climate adaptation strategy, potentially overlooking how species use multiple approaches to survive. The authors propose a new framework that encourages researchers to study both spatial and temporal adaptations together for a more complete understanding. They recommend improved data sharing, expanded surveys, and advanced analytical tools to better capture and interpret species’ diverse responses to climate change.
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2 weeks ago | 
news.ucsc.edu | Collin Blinder
A team of scientists, artists, engineers, and students have joined forces at UC Santa Cruz to help promote the use of stored rainwater as a resource for growing food close to home. Backed by a $100,000 grant from the university’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR), UC Santa Cruz cosmologist Alexie Leauthaud-Harnett is leading a multi-year project to study the agricultural potential of rainwater harvesting.
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2 weeks ago | 
phys.org | Collin Blinder
As ocean levels rise, coastal communities face an ever-increasing risk of severe flooding. The existing infrastructure protecting many of these communities was not built to withstand the combined threat of rising seas and severe storms seen in this century.
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3 weeks ago | 
news.ucsc.edu | Collin Blinder
Horizontal levees offer dual benefits: Retrofitting traditional levees with sloping, wetland-like “horizontal levees” can significantly improve coastal flood protection—by up to 30 percent—while also restoring ecosystems that support carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and recreation.
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3 weeks ago | 
news.ucsc.edu | Collin Blinder
UC Santa Cruz researchers uncovered the molecular mechanisms behind Wolbachia’s ability to manipulate fruit fly mating behavior, identifying specific brain regions, neurons, and proteins altered by the parasite to increase its spread. Using advanced microscopy, protein mapping, and genetic engineering, the team demonstrated that manipulating the same neurons affected by Wolbachia induces similar behavior, confirming a direct causal link between the parasite and its host’s altered mating drive.
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1 month ago | 
ourcommunitynow.com | Collin Blinder
Key takeaways New research shows that microplastics can harm birds in much the same way they harm humans, possibly threatening these species’ survival and their ecosystems.
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1 month ago | 
news.ucsc.edu | Collin Blinder
This study found that plastic swallowed by northern fulmars can leach chemicals inside the birds’ stomachs that interfere with their hormones. This disruption can impair the birds’ fertility, development, and behavior with consequences that ripple through ecosystems. The hormonal response seen in the fulmar receptors was similar to the response seen in human hormonal receptors when exposed to the same chemicals.
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1 month ago | 
news.ucsc.edu | Collin Blinder
Third-year undergraduate Isabelle “Izzy” Connor and two Ph.D. candidates at other universities have recently won awards to further their research in astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz. Connor (Crown ‘26, astrophysics) is a 2025 Barry Goldwater Scholar, an honor awarded by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program to second- and third-year undergraduate students studying mathematics, science, and engineering.
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2 months ago | 
science.org | Collin Blinder
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