Section
Climate Change
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How the Jones Act Strangles California Innovation and Keeps I-5 Packed with Trucks
California’s highways are clogged with trucks moving goods that could travel by sea, but the Jones Act makes coastal shipping too costly to scale, locking freight onto crowded roads and limiting a cleaner alternative.
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The Man Who Saved the Owens Pupfish
Less than 2.5 inches in length, the Owens pupfish is a silvery-blue fish in the family Cyprinodontidae. Endemic to California’s Owens Valley, 200 miles north of Los Angeles, the fish has lived on the planet since the Pleistocene, becoming a new species when its habitat was divided by changing climatic conditions, 60,000 years ago.
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California’s Daily Tidal Wave of Life
Every day, trillions of marine animals migrate up and down through the ocean in the largest daily movement of biomass on Earth. California’s exceptionally productive waters, and research hubs like MBARI near Moss Landing, make the state one of the best places in the world to observe and study this vast, invisible pulse of life.
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Upwelling, the Ocean’s Engine Beneath California’s Waters
Few marine processes are as impactful on the abundance of sea life off the coast of California as upwelling. It may not be a term you’ve heard before, but the natural oceanic process of upwelling is one of the most important engines driving climate, biological diversity, and the ocean’s food web.
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The Happy Nut: California’s Rise to Pistachio Power
California now grows more pistachios than any place on Earth, generating nearly $3 billion in economic value in the state. Nearly every nut sold in the United States, and most shipped abroad, comes from orchards in the Central Valley.
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Ten Essential Books About California’s Nature, Science, and Sense of Place
I’m an avid reader, and over the past decade I’ve dedicated a large section of my bookshelf to books about California—its wild side, its nature, and its scientific wonders.
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California Is a Nobel Powerhouse
The University of California system now counts 74 Nobel Prizes among its faculty and researchers. 23 in physics and 16 in chemistry. Berkeley leads the list, with 26 laureates, followed by UC San Diego, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, and UC San Francisco. Even smaller campuses, such as UC Riverside, have ties to winners like Barry Barish, who shared the 2017 Nobel in Physics for detecting gravitational waves.
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Corals Revealed as Never Before Through a Groundbreaking New Microscope in California
What this new tool allows scientists to do is determine whether corals may be under stress from factors like warming seas, pollution, or disease. Ideally, these warning signs are detected before the corals expel their zooxanthellae and bleach. Researchers are also learning far more about the everyday behavior of corals: something rarely studied in situ, directly in the ocean.
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A Tiny California Seaweed Could Make a Big Dent in Livestock Methane
Because methane is so potent, trapping more than 80 times as much heat as carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, the livestock industry’s footprint has become a central focus for climate scientists searching for solutions.
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Riding Wave Energy in Los Angeles
Turning the steady motion of the Pacific into clean electricity, Eco Wave Power’s pilot at the Port of Los Angeles tests whether wave energy can become a real piece of California’s renewable future.
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The Story of Southern California Sand from Mountains to Surf
It turns out most of the grains between your toes actually began their journey high in the mountains above LA, on craggy slopes far from the shore. Mostly, we are talking about the San Gabriel Mountains and other peaks in the Transverse Ranges that run east-west across Southern California.
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California’s Precarious Future and the Promise—and Limits—of Desalination
Visibly low water conditions at Shasta Lake in Shasta County, on October 13, 2022. Andrew Innerarity / California Department of Water Resources. Water, water, every where, nor any drop to…
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Bring Human Exploration Back to California’s Deep Ocean
Launching a Triton 3300/3 submersible from a scientific support ship in the Bahamas. (Photo: Erik Olsen) Would you support us? Just a few bucks. We’d appreciate it! It’s time for California to put…
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How California Has Revived Its Groundfish Fisheries
How Smart Policy and Collaboration Brought Groundfish Back From the Brink Vermillion Rockfish scientific illustration Would you support us? Just a few bucks. We’d appreciate it! Recently, I wrote a…
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The Salton Sea Was California’s Strangest Catastrophe
Support California Curated with a small donation. In California’s southeastern desert, the Salton Sea stretches across a wide, shimmering basin, a lake where there shouldn’t be one. At about 340…
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Manzanitas are California’s Sculptured Survivors
At Inspiration Point, Yosemite, sticky whiteleaf manzanita tends to occupy south slopes, greenleaf manzanita tends to occupy north slopes. (Photo: NPS) Would you support us? Just a few bucks. We’d…
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Salt to Salvation: The Desalination Revolution in California’s Drought Battle
While an atmospheric river storm in 2023 significantly eased California’s drought conditions for the time being, there is widespread concern that serious drought conditions will soon return and become the new norm.
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Camp Pendleton’s Wild Landscape as a Natural Refuge
Covering approximately 200 square miles in north San Diego County, the base has served as a critical training ground for the U.S. Marine Corps since 1942. However, its restricted access and limited development have inadvertently preserved some of Southern California’s last remaining wild coastal terrain.
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The Mountain Pass Mine in California May Be the U.S. Rare Earths Game Changer
With the global race for critical minerals intensifying, MP Materials’ success demonstrates the potential—and challenges—of revitalizing domestic mining infrastructure in an era of heightened resource competition.
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How a Lancaster, California Company is Giving Old EV Batteries a Second Life on the Grid
By harnessing the power of old electric vehicle (EV) batteries to store renewable energy, B2U is giving these aging batteries a productive second life and helping enhance the viability of green energy grids. The effort could pave the way for not only improving solar storage but also reusing old batteries that might otherwise end up in landfills or pose environmental hazards.
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Understanding the Impact of Santa Ana Winds in the Eaton Fire
One fact is indisputable: the fires were unusual in their ferocity and destruction. While studies, debates, and expert analyses following the disaster are inevitable, the immediate aftermath offers one clear conclusion—this fires were driven, in large part, by the extraordinary winds that descended on Los Angeles that night.
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John Isaacs, the Maverick Oceanographer Who Wanted to Tow Icebergs to California
California’s water crises have always inspired bold solutions, but few ideas rival the sheer audacity of John Isaacs’ proposal to tow a giant Antarctic iceberg to San Diego.
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Cadillac Desert: How Marc Reisner Changed the Way We See Water
Marc Reisner’s Cadillac Desert is not just a history of water in the West; it is a call to rethink our relationship with one of the planet’s most precious resources. At once an epic tale and an urgent warning, it stands as a monumental testament to the price we pay for bending nature to our will.
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The Great Los Angeles Flood of 1934 was a Disaster That Shaped California’s Approach to Flood Control
A house in the La Crescenta-Montrose area was swept off its foundation and carried several hundred feet by the New Year’s Eve floodwaters. (LA Times) Click to buy us a cup of coffee? We’d appreciate…
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The Ivanpah Solar Project is an Engineering Solar Power Giant in the Mojave Desert
Ivanpah Solar Power Facility in the Mojave Desert (Erik Olsen) Click to buy us a cup of coffee? We’d appreciate it! Update (February 2025): The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, once a…
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The Lost Island of Santarosae off California’s Coast
During the last Ice Age, approximately 20,000 to 25,000 years ago, when sea levels were significantly lower, Santarosae Island was a single, expansive landmass that now comprises most of California’s Channel Islands.
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Squid Pro Quo: How the California Market Squid Gives Back to Nature and Economy
The California market squid, scientifically known as Doryteuthis opalescens, is an integral component of the marine ecosystem and significantly contributes to California’s economy.
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Unraveling the Geology Behind Palos Verdes’ Ongoing Landslide Crisis
A neighborhood threatened by landslides at Portuguese Bend on Palos Verdes (Erik Olsen) For decades, geologists and engineers have been aware that the Portuguese Bend region of Palos Verdes is prone…
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California’s Monterey Formation: Unraveling the Secrets of a Fossil-Rich, Oil-Bearing Geological Wonder
California’s Monterey Formation is one of the most fascinating geological formations in the United States. Stretching along the California coast from San Francisco to Los Angeles, this formation is notable for its incredible diversity of siliceous rocks—rocks rich in silica, such as shale, chert, diatomite, and porcelanite.
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Why bringing back California’s kelp is so important
Sea urchins have devastated kelp forests in California. Support California Curated by buying us a coffee? Two centuries ago, the waters off the California coast were home to a vibrant ecosystem of…
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The California Sea Lion’s Story of Survival and Conservation
California sea lions are part of the family Otariidae, which includes all eared seals. These agile marine mammals are well adapted for life in the ocean, with streamlined bodies, strong flippers, and a layer of blubber to help regulate body temperature.
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How Theodore Roosevelt’s 1903 trip to California gave birth to modern conservation
Theodore Roosevelt’s 1903 trip to California gave birth to modern conservation.
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The Mighty Oaks of California Are a Keystone of the Golden State’s Ecosystem
Support California Curated by buying us a coffee? Oak trees hold a profound presence in the landscape of California, constituting a living link between the state’s rich biodiversity and cultural…
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Saving California’s White Abalone is Part of a Much Bigger Story
The current effort to bring back the white abalone is one of numerous projects underway in California to revive the state’s once-thriving marine environment.
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The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH): Icon of American Scenic Roadways
The Pacific Coast Highway took decades to complete fully, with different sections being opened to the public at various times.
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Black Gold Beach or How Oil Transformed Long Beach and Built the Southern California Economy
Signal Hill oil development (Photo: The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens) Support California Curated with a small donation. Southern California is best known for its sun-soaked…
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Giants Fallen: The Destruction of Converse Basin Grove and its Giant Sequoias
The true tragic story of one of the worst environmental crimes in California history.
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Julia Platt was the Unwavering Force Behind Monterey’s Ecological Conservation
Monterey Bay (Photo: Erik Olsen) Support California Curated with a small donation. In the 18th century, when Spanish and French explorers ventured along the northern California coast they encountered…
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Feathers on the Flyway: Unraveling Avian Mysteries at Bear Divide with the Moore Lab
Bear Divide is strategically positioned along the Pacific Flyway, a significant north-south migratory route used by birds traveling between Alaska and Patagonia. The geographical features of the San Gabriels provide an ideal resting and feeding ground for these birds, making Bear Divide a crucial stopover during their long journeys.
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California’s SLAC and the Mission to Unveil the Mysteries of Matter and the Cosmos
Since its inception in 1962, originally as the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (as it was previously known), it has been on the forefront of scientific discovery in numerous scientific disciplines. It is truly one of the nation’s great scientific institutions, being at the forefront of numerous major discoveries that have deeply impacted - and will impact - the world.
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The Mystical Sentinels of the Mojave: Unraveling the Secrets of the Joshua Tree
Standing tall against the backdrop of the sun-scorched Mojave Desert, the Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) is an emblematic figure of resilience and beauty. With its twisted, bristled limbs reaching towards the sky, this iconic species is not just a tree but a symbol of the untamed wilderness that is California’s desert landscape.
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Underground Fury: The 1985 Methane Blast That Rocked Los Angeles and Rerouted Its Subways
A 1985 methane explosion in L.A.'s Fairfax district turned a Ross Dress for Less into a disaster scene. Photo by Dean Musgrove, courtesy of the Herald-Examiner Collection - Los Angeles Public…
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Autumn’s Alchemy: Unveiling the Science Behind California’s High Sierra Fall Foliage
The transformation of leaves in the high Sierra is far more than a seasonal aesthetic; it’s a vivid illustration of how meticulously nature has calibrated life to adapt and thrive.
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Through the Looking Glass Head: The Enigmatic World of the Barreleye Fish
The Barreleye fish is the kind of creature that captures the imagination and evokes wonder about what remains undiscovered in the deep ocean.
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The Ocean’s Invisible Elevator: How Upwelling Fuels California’s Marine Bounty
The Vital Role of Upwelling in California’s Rich Ocean Life Click to buy us a cup of coffee? We’d appreciate it! Few marine processes have been as impactful on the abundance of sea life off the coast…
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Navigating the Unseen Current: How the California Current System Shapes Our Ocean, Climate, and Future
The California Current, originating from the colder regions up near British Columbia, sweeps its way down toward Baja California, extending laterally several hundred miles offshore into deep oceanic waters off the continental shelf.
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Davidson Seamount and the Unseen Mountains and Hidden Treasures Off California’s Coast
Perhaps the most astonishing discovery at Davidson Seamount occurred in 2018, when scientists discovered the “Octopus Garden,” the largest known aggregation of octopuses in the world. The garden is about two miles deep and was discovered by researchers on the research vessel (RV) Nautilus.
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The Eucalyptus Tree’s Twisted Path to Californian Soil
Eucalyptus in Los Angeles (Erik Olsen) Support California Curated with a small donation. The California landscape is dotted with numerous plant species, many of them native , but few have a story as…
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Baja California Is Slowly Breaking Away from the Mainland and May One Day Become an Island
In the southwest corner of North America, surrounded by the vast Pacific Ocean and the ethereal Sea of Cortez, lies the rugged and beautiful Baja California Peninsula. While well known for its captivating landscapes, what’s perhaps more fascinating is the story of its origin—a tale written in the language of tectonic plate movements, over tens of millions of years.
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Where the Sand on Southern California’s Beaches Comes From
Beach sand, particularly in Southern California, is primarily composed of quartz and feldspar mixed with silvery mica and milky quartz. These minerals originally existed in the granite of the local mountains, miles from the shoreline.
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The Long Life and Accidental Death of the Prometheus Bristlecone Pine
Yet, in an ironic twist of fate, one of these seemingly invincible trees—known as Prometheus—fell not to the ravages of nature, but to the hand of man.
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The Desert Tortoise: A Resilient Survivor of the Mojave
a close-up of a desert tortoise The Mojave Desert, a harsh yet strikingly beautiful landscape that extends across four western U.S. states, is home to an equally fascinating and resilient creature:…
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The return of Lake Tulare - once the largest lake West of the Mississippi
The massive atmospheric snowstorms that pummeled California this year have been a boon to ski slopes throughout the Sierra Nevada mountains. But the rains have had an unusual result: The torrents of…
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Why are California’s redwoods and sequoias so big and tall?
California’s giant sequoias and redwoods are nature’s skyscrapers. Existing mostly in a few narrow pockets in Northern California (there are also some redwoods just over the border with Oregon and Washington State), these two tree species are wonders of the biological world. They are also some of the most magnificent things to behold on the planet.
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The Majesty and Mystery of California’s Bristlecone Pines
Bristlecones are the longest living organism on earth. Gnarled and oftentimes squat, especially when compared to the majestic coastal redwoods and giant sequoias living near the coast further west, they hardly seem like mythical beings. But to scientists, they are a trove of information, offering clues to near immortality and to the many ways that the earth’s climate has changed over the last 5,000 years.
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Ancient Bristlecone Pines by Drone
Last week we had the opportunity to head up Highway 395 into Big Pine where we made a left up to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest . Because of the coronavirus, the place was empty. Not a soul to…
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This is how we’re going to solve climate change
Caltech. Credit: Erik Olsen Yesterday, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena made a major announcement : philanthropists and entrepreneurs Stewart and Lynda Resnick gave the…
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California’s unheralded role in Apollo 11 // Wildfires, climate change and atmospheric rivers // Marine reserves working even better than thought // California science news roundup
California’s unheralded role in Apollo 11 // Wildfires, climate change and atmospheric rivers // Marine reserves working even better than thought // California science news roundup
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Redwood poachers ruin majestic giants // LA’s air quality is deteriorating // Inhaled: new podcast series // California science news roundup
Redwood poachers ruin majestic giants // LA’s air quality is deteriorating // Inhaled: new podcast series // California science news roundup
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Blocking offshore drilling // Finding clear skies for stargazing in California // Amazing moon shots // Black abalone recovery // California’s Central Valley as art
Blocking offshore drilling // Finding clear for star-gazing in California // Amazing moon shots // Black abalone recovery // California’s Central Valley as art
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Towing an iceberg from Antarctica isn’t a new idea.
It was proposed 70 years ago by a maverick California scientist at Scripps. Sign up for the California Science Weekly newsletter . Fresh California science every Friday! Annie Spratt…
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Using California reservoirs like a battery // NASA’s Mars Helicopter // A gazillion ladybugs fill the sky // The fish with Dragonglass teeth // Lighter than air metal
California companies lead the effort to save the world with microbes, California connection: meet 2018 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry Frances Arnold, Carnegie Observatories and the GMT, Questioning “Disaster tourism” in California, Feeling the Force in Anaheim and more
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How California Companies are Leading the Effort to Save the World with Microbes
Synbio startups like NovoNutrients are developing novel products to help feed the world and stop climate change. Wikipedia - CC BY-SA 3.0 (Sign up for the California Science Weekly newsletter ,…
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Lithium in Death Valley, Frogs making comeback, JPL’s Climate Elvis, Science of traffic jams, Mono Lake’s gulls, Amazing scallop eyes, Cow burps, Bee thieves
CalTech’s famous fly lab, Saving California’s rare fruit, Atomic microscope, Winter snowfall earthquakes, Brain enhancement drugs, Mars copter
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Netflix’s Our Planet takes on California, Talking with your brain, Banning animal dissection, California’s “King Tides”, Threats to California’s artichokes
CalTech’s famous fly lab, Saving California’s rare fruit, Atomic microscope, Winter snowfall earthquakes, Brain enhancement drugs, Mars copter
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Strange new sea life in California, Magnificent murres, Eagle cam at Big Bear, Going to prison for killing a fish, Oral history of the Keck observatory
CalTech’s famous fly lab, Saving California’s rare fruit, Atomic microscope, Winter snowfall earthquakes, Brain enhancement drugs, Mars copter
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Mountain lions could disappear by 2050, Hydraulic mining’s destructive power, an ode to Yosemite’s Lyell glacier, Descanso Gardens’ dinosaur era plants, More mosquitos, LAFD drones
CalTech’s famous fly lab, Saving California’s rare fruit, Atomic microscope, Winter snowfall earthquakes, Brain enhancement drugs, Mars copter