Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz
by Seymour Studios
Hosted by Jonathan Hicken, Executive Director of the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, this podcast spotlights groundbreaking research in Santa Cruz, California, and shares actionable, positive environmental news from the region. Featuring in-depth conversations with scientists from UC Santa Cruz and beyond, along with local leaders and environmental experts, the show makes complex science accessible while highlighting real progress and tangible solutions protecting our unique coastal community.
Episodes
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Remounting Ms. Blue with Frank Hadfield
Dinosaur Valley Studios founder and president Frank Hadfield joins Seymour Marine Discovery Center host Jonathan to explain the conservation and remounting of Ms. Blue, the blue whale skeleton at UC Santa Cruz. They explore whale anatomy, what decades outdoors did to the bones, and how custom...
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Rebuilding Whale Bones with Shrimp Shells with Zoё Weber
As the Seymour Center looked for ways to repair Ms Blue sustainably, they came across Marco Rolandi’s lab and graduate student Zoё Weber. In this episode, learn about how they used shrimp shell waste to repair Ms Blue. Make sure to check out the full documentary episode on YouTube and join us at...
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Surfboards and Whale Bones with Patricio Guerrero
Restoring Ms Blue’s skeleton sustainably is the Seymour Center’s top priority. Swell Cycle co-founder and CEO Patricio Guerrero is using large-format 3D printing to create high-performance surfboards with less waste and is working with the Seymour Center to restore Ms Blue. Make sure to check out...
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The Untold Story of Ms. Blue with Steve Davenport
In honor of Ms Blue’s return to the Seymour Center, this podcast episode features Steve Davenport, a longtime UCSC marine science leader. Steve shares the stories of how this iconic blue whale was recovered, restored, and brought back to life. Make sure to check out the full documentary episode…
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Saving Whales Using Drone Technology with Gina Lonati
Climate change is pushing whales to change faster than the people who study them can keep up. Cetacean research senior manager Gina Lonati reveals how drones, thermal imaging, and long-term monitoring are transforming the way scientists track gray whales, humpbacks, and entanglement risk along…
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Moss Landing Battery Plant Fire with Don Smith
After a second fire at the Moss Landing battery plant, residents still face urgent questions: what entered the air, what reached people, and why are answers so hard to find? UCSC environmental toxicology expert Don Smith joins the podcast to unpack the science behind lithium-ion battery fires,...
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Fires, Floods, Earthquakes, & Storms with Dave Reid
Santa Cruz County faces wildfire, floods, earthquakes, and coastal storms nearly every year. Dave Reid, director of the Office of Response, Recovery and Resilience, explains how local leaders prepare for disasters, coordinate emergency responses, and help communities like Santa Cruz rebuild after...
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Sunflower Stars, the Urchin Roombas with Reuven Bank and Andrew Kim
Description: California’s kelp forests are in crisis, but an unexpected solution may be making a comeback: the sunflower star, a giant sea star that once helped keep urchin populations in check and kelp forests healthy. In this episode, Reuven Bank and Andrew Kim of the Sunflower Star Laboratory...
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Santa Cruz Surfing Turned into Climate Strategy with Nik Strong-Cvetich
Description: What if a surf break was more than a wave? Nik Strong- Cvetich reveals why surf ecosystems are worth protecting, how they shape local economies, and why Santa Cruz could become a model for coastal conservation everywhere. Save the Waves CEO Nik Strong-Cvetich unpacks the idea behind…
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Sarah Gerhardt’s Life Lessons in Chemistry and Big Wave Surfing
Prepared to feel charmed by chemistry professor and big wave surfer Sarah Gerhardt in this episode. Sarah steps into her role as a teacher in this conversation to walk listeners through the itty bitty, nitty gritty details of how materials we interact with every day are just miraculous strings of...
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Air Quality & Farmworkers in Watsonville with Javier González-Rocha
Javier González-Rocha grew up with his feet on Watsonville soil and his mind on aerospace engineering. He knew from an early age that he wanted to apply his penchant for math and science to helping people and solving real world problems. Now a professor of applied mathematics at UCSC, Javier’s...
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DEEP DIVE: From Space Dust to Ocean Stuff with X Prochaska
How does studying the dust of distant galaxies help us understand our oceans? Apparently, tools that tell us what stars are made of are also good at pointing out things like phytoplankton or heat waves. In this Deep Dive episode, astrophysicist and UCSC professor X Prochaska details his...
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DEEP DIVE: Extreme Genes and Animal Adaptations with Joanna Kelley
What do chubby bears and antifreeze fish have in common? A legacy of extreme survival coded into their genes. In this Deep Dive special, guest host Eric Palkovacs sits down with UC Santa Cruz professor Joanna Kelley to chat about her research on animals that develop radical adaptations to…
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How Philanthropy Funds Resiliency with Hilary Bryant
Hilary Bryant’s passion and entrepreneurial spirit led her to wear many hats as a Santa Cruz community member. She went from majoring in biology at UCSC to brokering real estate to building an animal hospital to running for Mayor. Now, she’s the Donor Services Director at Community Foundation…
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Brains Behind the Santa Cruz Water Supply with Heidi Luckenbach
Follow a drop of water from the Santa Cruz Mountains to your faucet at home in this episode with Heidi Luckenbach, Water Director for the City of Santa Cruz Water. Heidi walks listeners through the water sources and systems that deliver this precious resource throughout the community. With the…
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FIELD DIARY: Gelatinous Glowing Wonders of the Deep Sea with Steve Haddock
Prepare to journey into a deep, mysterious realm on our planet from the comfort of your streaming device. In this special Field Diary episode, guest host Cassidy Beach follows marine biologist Steve Haddock from the podcast studio to a day of deep sea exploration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium...
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DEEP DIVE: California's Marine Protected Area Network with Mark Carr
In this special “Deep Dive” episode, guest host Eric Palkovacs, Director of the Institute of Marine Sciences at UC Santa Cruz, sits down with Mark Carr. Mark is a living legend of marine ecology who helped pioneer the concept of Marine Protected Areas (MPA'S) in California and now advises for new...
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"What would have to be true?" Sarah Newkirk of Land Trust Santa Cruz
This week, we're sharing a bonus crossover episode with our friends at "Designing Tomorrow" - a podcast all about creativity and authenticity in social impact strategies. Host Eric Ressler sits down with Sarah Newkirk, Executive Director of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz, who shares her insights on...
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Senator John Laird on 50 Years of Conservation in California
Imagine sitting by Mission Street for an hour and only seeing 5 cars pass through, or being in one of the first graduating classes from the “new” school of UC Santa Cruz. That’s the perspective Senator John Laird brings to this episode as shares his extensive experience across California’s local...
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CSI: Condors, Ep. 1 - “Guts Full of Lead” with Myra Finkelstein
After chasing illegal fishing boats and skydiving to disrupt illegal wildlife hunts, Myra Finkelstein’s unique journey from the skies to the high seas led her to become a professor of environmental toxicology at UC Santa Cruz. Her research on lead poisoning has identified major threats to...
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Julie Packard, Live from Seymour Center
Julie Packard shares her journey from a UCSC student to a global leader in ocean conservation, highlighting the importance of science, policy, and community action in protecting our oceans. Resources: Seafood Watch Program - https://www.seafoodwatch.org/ Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust -...
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FIELD DIARY: Gena Bentall on Sharing the Surf with Our Sea Otters
When Otter 841 started hijacking surfboards at Steamer Lane, she exposed a much deeper conflict brewing just beyond the breakers. In this special episode, guest host Cassidy Beach hits the cliffs of Lighthouse Point with Gena Bentall, director and senior scientist of Sea Otter Savvy. Together…
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Transforming the Pájaro River Levee with Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher, a distinguished professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at UC Santa Cruz, shares insights on hydrogeology, water management, and flood risk mitigation along the Pájaro River. Discover how long-term monitoring, community engagement, and innovative engineering are shaping…
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The Puma Guy, Chris Wilmers, on the Science of Coexisting with Local Mountain Lions
Mountain lions are slipping through our neighborhoods under the cover of darkness, radically altering their behavior just to avoid us. In this episode, Chris Wilmers, UC Santa Cruz professor of wildlife ecology, pulls back the curtain on the cryptic world of our region's apex predators. From a...
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Mayor Fred Keeley on How Santa Cruz Reshaped California’s Ocean Protection Laws
How does science actually become law? In this episode current Santa Cruz Mayor, Fred Keeley, reflects on his legendary career rewriting California’s ocean protection rules. From body surfing through literal oil slicks as a nine-year-old to passing the historic Marine Life Management Act at the...
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FIELD DIARY: Patrolling Peregrines on Site with Zeka Glucs
The California coast is witnessing a silent crash in peregrine falcons that threatens to outpace the devastating legacy of DDT. In this guest-hosted episode, Zeka Glucs, Director of the UC Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group leads us into the field to track the invisible killer: bird flu.…
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The April 2nd Wake-Up Shake: Santa Cruz’s Seismic Secrets with Emily Brodsky
The morning of April 2nd gave Santa Cruz a sharp reminder that the ground beneath our feet is never truly still. In this episode, we use that recent shake to uncover the seismic secrets lurking under our feet with Emily Brodsky, an earthquake scientist and UC Santa Cruz professor. From the legacy...
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The Pavement Paradox: Why Narrowing Roads Might be the Secret to Mobility with Matt Miller
Santa Cruz is squeezed between the mountains and the sea, there is simply no more land to expand roads for more cars. Matt Miller, Director of Mobility Transformation at Ecology Action, is navigating this bottleneck through the Complete Streets Initiative: a plan to prioritize people over…
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The Great Coastal Debate: Deciding the Next 30 Years of Santa Cruz’s Shores with Tiffany Wise-West
Santa Cruz city planners are moving fast, but the Pacific Ocean is moving faster. This week, Tiffany Wise-West, the Sustainability and Resiliency Officer for the City of Santa Cruz, dives deep into the ambitious 30-year roadmap to preserve our iconic coastline. She explains how different...
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Tunnels, Timber, and Trails: The Balancing Act of the Santa Cruz Wild with Eric Lombardo
Ever wonder who’s behind the new trails you hike or the wildlife crossings you drive over? Eric Lombardo, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County's Director of External Affairs, joins us to pull back the curtain on how conservation actually works in our backyard. From public farms to…
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Kelp Wanted: Marine Heatwaves, Zombie Urchins, and Kelp Restoration with Kristy Kroeker
Marine ecologist and UC Santa Cruz professor Kristy Kroeker unravels the dramatic chain reactions triggered when the sea gets too hot. From the collapse of California’s iconic kelp forests to the surprising takeover by zombie sea urchins, she reveals how the loss of key predators like the…
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Why Shipping Companies are Competing to Save Whales (and Winning) with Jess Morten
Jess Morten, Director of Marine Resource Protection with the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, dives into how California's Blue Whales Blue Skies program is hoping to transform voluntary vessel speed reductions into a global movement. She shares how recognition drives change, achieving 70%...
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DEEP DIVE: Rum-Soaked Fishes with Malin Pinsky
In this extra geeky DEEP DIVE episode, Guest Host Eric Palkovacs, Director of Institute of Marine Sciences at UC Santa Cruz, sits down with Malin Pinsky, UC Santa Cruz Professor, to explore how human activities drive real-time evolutionary changes in fish populations. Malin reveals genetic…
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The 12-Kilometer Whisper: Protecting the Soundscapes of Monterey Bay with Caroline Casey
Marine scientist Caroline Casey explains how underwater noise from ships and industry disrupts communication among seals, whales, and dolphins. Sound travels vast distances in the ocean, but human noise shrinks this range, impacting survival. Using data and initiatives like Blue Whales Blue…
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Conservation vs. Fishing: Solving a Tough Tension in The Monterey Bay with Melissa Mahoney
Most people don’t realize how fragile and interconnected our local fisheries are and how conservation and industry are often seen as competing interests. Melissa Mahoney, Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust, reveals the surprising truth that protecting fish populations and...
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The Myth of Coastal Control with Gary Griggs
In this conversation, Gary Griggs shares his extensive experience and insights on the relationship between the ocean, climate change, and community resilience in Santa Cruz. He reflects on his personal connection to the coast, transformative moments in environmental awareness, and the challenges…
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Avian Flu in Elephant Seals at Año Nuevo with Patrick Robinson
An avian flu outbreak among elephant seals at Año Nuevo reveals how vulnerable wildlife populations can be. Reserve director Patrick Robinson explains how avian influenza likely moved from seabirds to marine mammals and why long-term research is critical for detecting and understanding such…
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Introducing Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz
Hosted by Jonathan Hicken, Executive Director of the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, this podcast spotlights groundbreaking research in Santa Cruz, California, and shares actionable, positive environmental news from the region. Featuring in-depth conversations with scientists from UC Santa Cruz...
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Salmon Conservation 5 Years After CZU with Eric Palkovacs
In this episode, Eric Palkovacs from UC Santa Cruz discusses the impacts of the 2020 fires on salmon in Santa Cruz, the resilience of ecosystems, and innovative conservation strategies. Explore how fire, climate change, and genetic adaptation influence salmon populations and what communities can…
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Offshore Drilling and the Blue Wall with Katie Thompson
The Fight Against Offshore Drilling in Santa Cruz and California’s Coastal Resistance This episode features Katie Thompson, Executive Director of Save Our Shores, who shares critical insights into the ongoing battle to prevent offshore drilling along the California coast. We explore the…
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About this show
Hosted by Jonathan Hicken, Executive Director of the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, this podcast spotlights groundbreaking research in Santa Cruz, California, and shares actionable, positive environmental news from the region. Featuring in-depth conversations with scientists from UC Santa Cruz and beyond, along with local leaders and environmental experts, the show makes complex science accessible while highlighting real progress and tangible solutions protecting our unique coastal community.
Hosted by
Seymour Studios