Attempts to maintain the “natural beauty” of Southern California beaches are actually having a massive negative impact on the beach ecosystem overall, a new study warns.

Researchers explores how to meet water demands during drought years.

New research provides a roadmap for how entrepreneurs can harness freshwater prawns' voracious appetite for snails to reduce the transmission of schistosomiasis-causing parasites while still making a profit selling the tasty animals as food. The study shows how small-scale farming of freshwater prawns could be a win-win for communities in emerging and developing economies where schistosomiasis is common.

A new article describes how the increase in population and the need to feed everyone will give rise to human infectious disease, a situation the authors of the paper consider 'two of the most formidable ecological and public health challenges of the 21st century.'

An algae bloom turned water in the Santa Barbara Channel turquoise in summer of 2015. Platform Holly is visible in the foreground with UC Santa Barbara's campus just out of frame to the right.
Photo Credit: David Velentine