UC Santa Barbara marine scientists are uncovering just how tightly the beach and the nearshore are connected along the ...

Though spatially distinct, the Santa Barbara Channel’s subtidal kelp forests and its sandy beaches are intimately connected. Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), the foundation species of rocky reefs, ...

A UC Santa Barbara researcher published a paper detailing the intricate impact that kelp forests along local beaches have ...

The Santa Barbara Channel’s kelp forests and its sandy beaches are intimately connected. Giant kelp, the foundation species of rocky reefs, serves as a major part of the beach food web as fronds of ...

The kelp forest is ephemeral, yet foundational. Fronds of this fast-growing giant seaweed come and go with the seasons, storms and waves, supporting communities of fish, invertebrates and even mammals ...

Beaches across the globe are undergoing a process of “crushing,” with rising sea levels and coastal urbanization damaging ecosystems, accelerating erosion and threatening sandy shorelines. Omar Defeo, ...

Scientists have developed a groundbreaking method to map sandy beach intertidal zones with unprecedented accuracy using satellite data. This innovative approach allows for precise measurements of ...

A new study uncovers a symphony of synchrony between the kelp forest and beach, with broader implications for the beach food web as the climate changes. The Santa Barbara Channel's kelp forests and ...