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News Archive (March 2000 - October 2010)
Coastal Commission funds projects at UCSC Arboretum and Seymour Center SANTA CRUZ, CA--The California Coastal Commission has awarded grants to fund two coastal restoration and education projects at UC Santa Cruz, one at the Arboretum and another at the Seymour Center at Long Marine Laboratory. The UCSC grants are among 23 awarded statewide in 2013 by the Coastal Commission's Whale Tail Grants Program, funded by sales of Whale Tail license plates. At the Arboretum, a $10,500 grant will fund a watershed restoration project along Moore Creek, which flows through the Arboretum on the UCSC campus and down to the ocean at Natural Bridges State Beach. The banks of the creek are home to threatened red-legged frogs and other animals, but the vegetation is dominated by highly invasive plant species, according to Stephen McCabe, director of research at the Arboretum. "We appreciate the Coastal Commission's support of our invasive weed removal program, which will improve habitat for frogs, birds, and bobcats while educating and involving UCSC students, Arboretum volunteers, and local K-12 students," McCabe said. The Arboretum is planning to create a watershed restoration syllabus, with input from outside experts, that would compile the best protocols on removing invasive weeds and restoring native vegetation. Community members will be recruited to remove invasive plants several days each week and plant native grasses, sedges, rushes, perennials, and shrubs. Several thousand native plants are already being grown for this project, McCabe said. At the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, a $9,370 grant will fund efforts to expand the center's capacity to serve Spanish-speaking audiences. The center will recruit 8 to 10 bilingual high-school and college students to volunteer as exhibit guides. In addition to the usual training on marine science and conservation, these volunteers will receive training for working with Spanish-speaking audiences and learn culturally relevant techniques for interpreting marine conservation. "This grant allows us to enhance our spring training for exhibit guides toward serving a broader community. Spanish-speaking guides will then be on shift every weekend during the summer," said Julie Barrett Heffington, director of the Seymour Center. The center is planning a festive multicultural day on June 8, World Oceans Day, to kick off the new program and attract the Spanish-speaking public to the Seymour Center. In addition, a brochure with ocean conservation tips in Spanish and English will be developed for distribution to visitors. The California Coastal Commission's Whale Tail grants support programs that teach California's children and the general public to value and take action to improve the health of the state's marine and coastal resources.
Seymour Center offers guided tours on the Santa Cruz wharf SANTA CRUZ, CA--In collaboration with the City of Santa Cruz, UCSC's Seymour Marine Discovery Center is now leading free 30-minute public tours on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf every Saturday and Sunday at 1 and 3 p.m. The Seymour Center's marine science interpreters are also available between tours to answer questions about the variety of wildlife visible at the wharf. What are the sea lions hanging out the end of the wharf up to? Why is the water green? What time of year can you see whales? Answers to these questions and more are now readily available from the Seymour Center docents at the wharf. Extending a half mile into the Monterey Bay, the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf is an ideal location for visitors and scientists alike to learn about the ocean without boarding a boat. The new tours feature the work of UCSC scientists and collaborators, whose research projects at the wharf contribute to marine conservation. Visitors will learn about the wharf's sustainable energy test bed, how sea lions make decisions in the wild, and what studying the green water tells us about the health of the bay. "It was a natural connection for us as part of UCSC's Long Marine Lab," said Chris Reeves, visitor programs manager for the Seymour Center. "The tours are a great opportunity to connect visitors with the science behind what they see, and for them to learn a little about how science contributes to ocean health." Tours meet at the stage on the west side of the wharf between Olitas and Marini's, and end a short walk away at the sea lion overlook. Tours run year-round, rain or shine. According to Jeff Myll, one of the Seymour Center docents leading the tours, the first question from many visitors is, "How did those sea lions get up under the wharf?" "It's really been a lot of fun for visitors to connect their general questions with the research going on at Long Marine Lab," Myll said. In addition to the docent-led tours, blue-and-green signs at several locations on the wharf and elsewhere along the coast of Santa Cruz provide information accessible with a smart phone as part of a self-guided "ecotour" program sponsored by the City of Santa Cruz and UC Santa Cruz. Visitors are welcome at the Seymour Center at Long Marine Laboratory every day during the summer and six days a week beginning in September. The center is a "living classroom" featuring aquariums, exhibits, touch tanks, whale skeletons, full-scale elephant seal models, the Ocean Discovery Shop, and unsurpassed ocean vistas. The aquariums and exhibits feature the everyday tools of ocean exploration and focus on research conducted by scientists locally and around the world. Interactive stations provide hands-on learning experiences, and docents lead tours and bring marine science to life. The Seymour Center is located at the end of Delaware Avenue in Santa Cruz. For more information about the Seymour Center or the wharf tours, call (831) 459-3800 or visit the center's web site at seymourcenter.ucsc.edu.
Seymour Center presents lecture on harmful toxins in the sea SANTA CRUZ, CA — For millennia, coastal people have been aware of the occasional presence of harmful toxins in the marine environment. On Sunday, March 18, UC Santa Cruz professor emeritus Mary Silver will tell the story of the historical discovery of the these toxins, the sources of the poisons, and how we now protect ourselves from them. Join Silver for “Toxins from the Sea,” part of the Science Sunday lecture series at the Seymour Center at Long Marine Laboratory. The event is free with paid admission or membership. Commonly known as “red tide,” harmful algal blooms, occur when colonies of algae—simple ocean plants that live in the sea—grow out of control while producing toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals and birds. In the last century, considerable knowledge about the worldwide presence of these substances has grown and protection systems put into place for human harvesters. The history of these discoveries is a fascinating story, one that involves indigenous peoples, medical researchers, and – very recently – an actively growing group of marine science researchers. This presentation will tell the story of the historical discovery of the toxins with accounts from East Africa to the coast of California. Located in Santa Cruz on the bluffs overlooking Monterey Bay, the Seymour Center provides exciting and engaging ocean education programs for the visiting public and for students of all ages. It is dedicated to educating youth, families, and the general public about the role science plays in the understanding and conservation of the world's oceans. The Seymour Center is open six days a week, year-round, and serves more than 60,000 people each year.
Panelists to discuss renewable energy from the ocean in annual Norris Lecture November 10 SANTA CRUZ, CA--Panelists will explore the current prospects of deriving renewable energy from our oceans in the annual Ken Norris Memorial Lecture at the Seymour Center at Long Marine Laboratory on Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 7 p.m. The event, "Renewable Energy from the Sea," is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, and admission is first come, first served. The panelists represent a broad range of expertise in issues related to public policy and regulatory guidelines, the physical challenges involved in developing the technology to harness energy from the ocean, and understanding its potential impacts on the ocean environment and ocean life:
The moderator of the panel will be Gary Griggs, distinguished professor of Earth and planetary sciences and director of UCSC's Institute of Marine Sciences. Griggs is an expert on coastal geology, geologic hazards, coastal erosion, shorelines and beaches, and sea level rise. This event is sponsored by Aptos-Creekside Pet Hospital and John and Enid Rusev. For more information, please call the Seymour Center at (831) 459-3800. Overlooking the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Seymour Center is a "living classroom" featuring aquariums, exhibits, touch tanks, whale skeletons, full-scale elephant seal models, the Ocean Discovery Shop, and unsurpassed ocean vistas. The aquariums and exhibits feature the everyday tools of ocean exploration and focus on research conducted by scientists locally and around the world. Interactive stations provide hands-on learning experiences, and docents lead tours and bring marine science to life. The Seymour Center is located at the end of Delaware Avenue in Santa Cruz.
Seymour Center presents lecture on marine mammals and conservation SANTA CRUZ, CA—What are two Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, three Southern sea otters, and one endangered Hawaiian monk seal telling us about conservation of wild marine mammal populations around the world? Come dive into the world of marine ecosystem conservation and preservation with the Beau Richter, Head Trainer for UCSC’s Marine Mammal Physiology Project in a public lecture at the Seymour Center at 1 p.m. this Sunday, November 21. Richter’s talk “Marine Mammals and the Physiology Project," is part of the Science Sunday lecture series at the Seymour Center at Long Marine Laboratory. The event is free with paid admission or membership. The Marine Mammal Physiology Project, under the direction of Dr. Terrie Williams, exercise physiologist and professor at UCSC, seeks to answer the important question of what it costs marine mammals to survive in the ocean. In other words, how much energy must these animals expend to accomplish their daily activities such as swimming, diving, foraging, and mating. Until scientists understand more about what marine animals need to survive in a changing environment, no progress can be made in protecting the resources they need to make a living in the ocean. Richter will discuss how marine mammals are trained to voluntarily cooperate in the data collection process, what these projects are designed to investigate, what has been learned to date, and plans for the future. The ultimate goal with this research is to convert the knowledge gained into conservation of wild populations around the world. Located in Santa Cruz on the bluffs overlooking Monterey Bay, the Seymour Center provides exciting and engaging ocean education programs for the visiting public and for students of all ages. It is dedicated to educating youth, families, and the general public about the role science plays in the understanding and conservation of the world's oceans. The Seymour Center is open six days a week, year-round, and serves more than 60,000 people each year. WHAT: FEATURING: WHEN: WHERE: ADMISSION: INFORMATION: (831) 459-3800 or http://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu
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