Marine Ecology

In Bodega Bay, marine biologists say something terrible happened to the mussel beds during a recent heat wave. The bivalves baked in their shells. Scientists are now worried about all the other marine life living in the mussel beds.

For KQED California Report, segment starts at minute 3:54

Jackie Sones, Bodega Marine Reserve research coordinator, overlooks a bed of dead mussels that were fried during the June heat wave, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. The high temperatures and the mussels black shells leads to more absorption of sunlight.

For the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, read more

Between increasing heat and shell-dissolving ocean acidification, shellfish die offs may become more common and predictive mechanisms even more critical.

Listen on KQED Forum "June Heat Wave Baked Local Mussels"

Read more in Bay Nature

Marine biologist Eric Sanford hikes down to Horseshoe Cove to study tide pools at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory in Bodega Bay, Calif. on Wednesday, April 17, 2019. Sanford's research is examining the impacts that climate change is having within intertidal zones.

For the SF Chronicle, read more

While her focus is crabs, Morgan’s research could provide clues to reveal broader trends of terrestriality across all species.

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"Five years ago, the Gulf of Alaska warmed to record temperatures, likely due to a sudden acceleration in the melting of Arctic sea ice. Usually a cold southern current flows along California. That year, the warm “blob” spread down the coast and, instead of blocking tropical species from moving north, it served as a balmy welcome to a variety of animals far from home."

Tropical Species Near San Francisco? New Range Limit Records Indicate Future Face of California Coast

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Read the journal article in Scientific Reports

“We’re in a region with a Mediterranean climate and upwelling— what’s cool is that both of these are associated with high levels of biodiversity,” says Grace Ha, an ecology Ph.D. student. In upwelling zones, nutrient-rich waters from the deep ocean are transported to coastal regions, which makes them hotspots for biodiversity.

Read more at the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences

A scientific name means more than just Linnaean nomenclature. Names go out into the world like buoys in the ocean, mere indicators of the stories and relationships weighted below them. Grace Ha writes about discovering a new marine species — and naming it.

Read more in Bay Nature

At the Bodega Marine Laboratory and CMSI, we couldn’t be more honored and humbled to have Dr. Susan Williams a part of our community for so long. On the 26th of October, over 180 people from around the world gathered to celebrate the life of Dr. Williams.  

“I wanted to be an oceanographer since second grade, without understanding what that meant other than being fascinated by "things" that washed up on the beach during seaside family vacations.” - Dr. Susan Williams in her CMSI Spotlight.