UC Davis Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute

Join us for the Bodega Marine Lab Seminar Series! On 8/6, Jonathon Stillman, a Professor and Adjunct Professor at SFSU and UC Berkeley, will present “Does the thermal environment induce transgenerational plasticity in the porcelain crab, Petrolisthes cinctipes?”

ucdavis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

A whale breaching off the coast

A whale's tail disappearing into the ocean

WHALE hello there 👋🐋 A few giant visitors passed by Bodega Head on July 26, captured in these images by naturalist and Bodega Marine Reserve Research Coordinator, Jackie Sones.

See more wild finds on her blog, The Natural History of Bodega Head: bodegahead.blogspot.com

An image of Andrew Whitehead working in the field with a quote next to it that reads "I think a lot of people would prefer to live in a society where we can predict and prevent problems before people and creatures get sick."

Dark red oil rippling across the water next to a shoreline, with small fish traps behind it.

How far do the ripple effects of #marinescience at @ucdavis.bsky.social go?
Our new story series starts with Andrew Whitehead’s research on how #pollution changes fish biology for generations. It's a story of genes, justice, and lasting impacts: arcg.is/1uGiPj1

📸 Andrew Whitehead | ✍️ Lila Magbilang

Join us for the Bodega Marine Lab Seminar Series! On 7/30, @hankbaker.bsky.social, a postdoc in the Dept of Environmental Science Policy and Management at @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social, will present “Causes and consequences of variation in fish movement strategies”

ucdavis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Elisabeth Sellinger presenting to a conference audience from a podium. On the screen behind her is a presentation that reads "Quantifying Carbon Sequestration in Restored Seagrass Meadows for Climate Mitigation"

UC Davis PhD candidate Elisabeth Sellinger traveled to France as part of the French American Doctoral Exchange (FADEx) Program in Marine Science. She explored international collaborations, connected with fellow ocean researchers, and even gave her biggest talk yet: buff.ly/dkRlHyP

📸: Joaquim Nassar

Two students use calipers to measure the size of a snail's shell

A group of students gathered around a lab bench, working collaboratively

A student adjusts the flow of water to a tank set up in a row of glass tanks.

Students in Eric Sanford's BIS 124 and EVE 114 classes at the Bodega Marine Lab tested how seawater exposed to different sea star species might influence Black Turban snail feeding—and practiced skills they'll put to use in their own independent projects later this summer.

A group photo taken on the Bodega Marine Reserve

A glass jar full of pink-purple dye and wool beanies

Two people working at a lab bench, creating dye from purple urchin spines

Two people standing at a lab bench, creating dye from purple urchin spines. One is holding up a wool beanie that they will color with the natural dye.

Maddie Armstrong’s Bilinski Fellowship at BML project brought science, sustainability and art together at the Bodega Marine Lab. Attendees dyed beanies with purple urchin spine dye, explored kelp forest ecology and toured the lab and reserve: storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ac09...

Welcome to Spawn Stars - also known as ETX 127. Drs. Christina Pasparakis, Ellie Fairbairn, Cristina Torres-Duarte, and PhD student Zeke Spooner are teaching summer session students at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab how to spawn echinoderms, including sea stars, purple urchins, and sand dollars.

A graphic showing a blue duotoned image of Bodega Marine Laboratory with a text overlay saying August 5th, 4-5pm, "Engineering Ecosystems for Coral Recruitment and Survival", Featured Lecturer: Linda Wegley Kelly, Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, The Dr. Donald L. Mykles Distinguished Lecture Series

Join us on August 5th for "Engineering Ecosystems for Coral Recruitment and Survival", with speaker Dr. Linda Wegley Kelly, an Associate Research Scientist at @scrippsocean.bsky.social, and our 2025 lecturer in the Dr. Donald L. Mykles Distinguished Lecture Series: airtable.com/appEOgQ4D9g6...

A group of volunteers gathered around several trash bags filled with plastic pollution they cleaned up.

A group of volunteers gathered around for a selfie with Zeke Spooner.

A group of volunteers gathered around several trash bags filled with plastic pollution and other debris they cleaned up.

UC Davis PhD Student Zeke Spooner's Bilinski Fellowship at Bodega Marine Lab project brought community members and researchers together for a series of beach cleanups to combat plastic pollution: storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ac09...

📸: Zeke Spooner and Cristina Torres-Duarte

Ideal for individuals and small groups (up to 10 people), our tours welcome all ages, though they’re best suited for ages 12 and up.

Reservations are required and tours fill up quickly this time of year, so reserve your spot today!
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Public Tours of Bodega Marine Laboratory Learn about our Sea-sational Scientists and Fin-tastic Creatures of Bodega Marine Laboratory and the Coastal & Marine Sciences Institute

We still have a few spots open for free, docent-led public tours of the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory in July (although we will be closed on Friday, July 4th, and there will be no tours that day), and August dates are now available to reserve!
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bodega-marine-lab-tours.eventbrite.com

UC Davis PhD student Shreya Banerjee centered her Bilinski Fellowship at BML on bringing marine genetics to life for students at Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep. Partnering w/ teacher Jasmine Daragahi, she led a class research project with hands-on lab work & a field trip to the lab: buff.ly/PhrGopB

Researching Corals in Bodega Bay? What do you picture when you think of the California coast? Perhaps it’s the redwood-covered bluffs that plummet down to crashing waves, or the forests of kelp swaying along with the current. But the…

UC Davis marine ecologist @dranyabrown.bsky.social studies microbes from coral reefs to seagrass beds, showing how ocean life is linked across ecosystems. “It’s all one ocean… it connects us all.” 🌊
marinescience.ucdavis.edu/blog/anya-br...

A graphic showing a blue duotoned image of Bodega Marine Laboratory with a text overlay saying August 5th, 4-5pm, "Engineering Ecosystems for Coral Recruitment and Survival", Featured Lecturer: Linda Wegley Kelly, Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, The Dr. Donald L. Mykles Distinguished Lecture Series

Join us on 8/5 for "Engineering Ecosystems for Coral Recruitment and Survival", a lecture by Dr. Linda Wegley Kelly, an Associate Research Scientist at @scrippsocean.bsky.social, and our 2025 featured lecturer in the Dr. Donald L. Mykles Distinguished Lecture Series: airtable.com/appEOgQ4D9g6...

A graphic showing a commencement photo of Claire Low paired with a quote that reads "in every future family trip down to Monterey, I will never look at the tide pools the same because I’ll have a newfound perspective on all the beauty in the countless underlying processes that take place behind the scenes and below the surface."

Let’s sea what’s on the horizon for this grad! 🌊 Please join us in congratulating @ucdavis Marine and Coastal Science major Claire Low! 🎓
#UCDavisGrad #Classof2025

A graphic showing a commencement photo of Colby Kalasardo paired with a quote that reads "My favorite memory was at the Bodega Marine Laboratory, where every week, my professor, Tessa, would have us go out and do a nature journal to observe the environment and record our thoughts and feelings about our experience at the lab. I’ve carried on this tradition after my time at the lab, and it’s been an amazing creative outlet for me."

Came for the science, stayed for the sea, and left with a degree! 🌊 Please join us in congratulating UC Davis Marine and Coastal Science major Colby Kalasardo! 🎓
#UCDavisGrad #Classof2025 🎓

A graphic showing a commencement photo of Lainie Mikeska paired with a quote that reads "Taking classes at BML was absolutely the highlight of my undergraduate career; I learned so much about marine organisms, but also got to design my own research project on the California mussel. Living out at the Bodega dorms for a summer with my classmates will always hold a special place in my heart."

Waded through waves and coursework, now it’s time to celebrate! Please join us in congratulating @ucdavis Marine and Coastal Science major Lainie Mikeska! 🎓
#UCDavisGrad #Classof2025

Championing Mentorship Through Marine Research: Claire Murphy Receives Top CBS Graduate Award Claire Murphy, a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Population Biology Graduate Group, wants everyone to feel like they belong in research. Based at the Bodega Marine Laboratory (BML), Murphy studies h...

Congratulations to Claire Murphy @clurmurph.bsky.social who has been awarded the 2025 CBS Dean’s Mentorship Award for her dedication to fostering inclusion & curiosity in science through hands-on research & guidance. Learn more. @ucdmarinescience.bsky.social
biology.ucdavis.edu/news/champio...

A graphic showing a commencement photo of Zoe Fricker paired with a quote that reads "I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities this university has given me. Learning in the field at the Bodega Marine Lab, with courses that took us outdoors and into real marine environments, was truly a highlight, and I would recommend it to all students with environmental science interests."

Degree secured, coastal currents ahead! ⛵️ Please join us in congratulating @ucdavis Marine and Coastal Science major Zoe Fricker! 🎓
#UCDavisGrad #Classof2025

A graphic showing a commencement photo of Serena Bhalla paired with a quote that reads "Originally I came into UCD as a physics major and quickly realized that it wasn't meant for me. Spring quarter of my first year I took a class called Life In The Sea and it absolutely sparked something I didn't realize I was interested in so deeply."

The #Classof2025 is making waves! 🌊 Please join us in congratulating @ucdavis.bsky.social Marine and Coastal Science major Serena Bhalla! 🎓
#UCDavisGrad

A graphic showing a commencement photo of Jessica Bartolome paired with a quote that reads "From splashing in the waves to searching for tide pool creatures as a kid, I’ve always felt a deep connection to the ocean—so it’s no surprise I ended up studying marine sciences. I was excited to turn my love for the marine environment into something I could study and build a career around."

Sailed through the science, now onward to new shores! Please join us in congratulating UC Davis Marine and Coastal Science major Jessica Bartolome! 🎓

A graphic showing a commencement photo of Kylie Tretschok paired with a quote that reads "One of the highlights of my undergrad journey was studying abroad in Brisbane, Australia - diving into Marine Biology and Terrestrial Ecology though research and hands-on learning, while connecting with incredible people who shared my passion. I also had an unforgettable summer at Bodega Bay, where I got to connect with MCS students and Professors in a beautiful remote setting." -Kylie Tretschok, UC Davis Marine and Coastal Science Major, Class of 2025

From tidepools to tassels, this Marine and Coastal Science grad is ready for what's next. Please join us in congratulating @ucdavis.bsky.social Marine and Coastal Science major Kylie Tretschok! 🎓 #Classof2025 #UCDavisGrad

Join us for the Bodega Marine Lab Seminar Series! On 6/18, Rob Lusardi, asst prof in the UC Davis Dept of Wildlife Fish & Conservation Biology, presents "Understanding how diverse and productive freshwater habitats contribute to species resilience in the Anthropocene"
ucdavis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

YouTube video by BodegaMarineLab One, Two, Three... Four!

Deer crossing! 🦌 🦌 🦌 🦌

From the Horseshoe Cove webcam on the Bodega Marine Reserve: marinescience.ucdavis.edu/bml/webcam
youtu.be/wA9WimT01W4

Anya Brown is investigating microbes’ critical role in coral reefs Her research team’s contributions could hold promise for coral adaptation and conservation.

Anya Brown - @dranyabrown.bsky.social, marine scientist at @ucdavis.bsky.social & Nat Geo Explorer, studies how coral microbes shape reef resilience. “It’s the kind of thing that unites so much of life on Earth,” she says. 🌊🪸🐠

Read more in Nat Geo: www.nationalgeographic.com/impact/artic...

A close up of a sign that reads "Marine Life Refuge, all invertebrates and marine plant life protected", next to it a bird is perched on a wooden railing and there is a serene view of the ocean blurred in the background.

A sweeping view of the ocean from a coastal bluff. Choppy waves are bringing a large piece of driftwood close to the shore.

A panoramic view of Horseshoe Cove, looking down at a wooden platform that extends down the bluffs into the cove.

A large wave crashing off the shore of the Bodega Marine Reserve.

On #WorldOceansDay 🌊 and every day, we honor the coastlines that ground us, the species that inspire us, and the research that gives us hope.

Fish ‘Beauty Salons’ Offer Insight into How Microbes Move Within Reefs Where do you go when you’re a fish and you need a skincare treatment? Coral reefs contain natural “beauty salons,” lively social hubs of activity where fish “clients” swim up and wait to be serviced b...

Study published in @meps-ir.bsky.social finds tiny, hardworking cleaner fish play a role in reef microbial diversity. Learn more @ucdmarinescience.bsky.social @whoi.edu @miamirosenstiel.bsky.social
www.ucdavis.edu/climate/news...

Join us for the Bodega Marine Lab Seminar Series! On 6/11, Bushra Khan, a project scientist at the UC Davis Marine Pollution Studies Laboratory at Granite Canyon, will present "Integrating New Tools & Approaches into an Environmental Monitoring Program in California"

ucdavis.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Small, brightly colored gobies swimming around a larger coral.

When reef fish need a deep clean, they head to the “spa,” where cleaner fish scrub away parasites and bacteria.

A UC Davis–WHOI study led by @dranyabrown.bsky.social shows this may shape microbial health across coral reef ecosystems: www.ucdavis.edu/climate/news...

📸: Matthew Nicholson, UofM