Welcome

The Division of Science & Environmental Policy (SEP) is the administrative home for an array of academic degree programs, research laboratories, and community outreach programs.

All SEP programs provide outstanding opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students to learn how to use interdisciplinary science and technology to serve community needs.

SEP places a heavy emphasis on preparing students for rewarding careers and/or more advanced academic study in fields related to environmental resource assessment, management, and policy.

Faculty clusters provide particular strengths in marine and terrestrial biology/ecology, watershed science & hydrology, environmental science education, and advanced technologies for geospatial data collection, analysis, and visualization.

For more information on SEP's many programs, please follow the links at left or contact the SEP Office.

November 2009

Maintaining high water quality in the central coast region requires collaboration between water purveyors, regulators, and researchers. Erin Stanfield (left) has developed a Master's Thesis research project with Professor Marc Los Huertos that has implemented this type of collaboration. Using an underwater photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) quantum light sensor, Erin studies freshwater cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (CHABs) in the California central coast. She is working with a multidisciplinary research group at CSUMB (CyanoHAB Lab) and in collaboration with the Cities of Watsonville and Santa Cruz to study the environmental factors associated with cyanobacteria in Loch Lomond drinking water reservoir (Lompico, CA) and Pinto Lake recreational area (Watsonville, CA). Studies using the PAR sensor will contribute to prevention, prediction, reduction and mediation plans for addressing CHABs.

Story provided by Erin Stanfield & Ashley Kight.