Field notes archive

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.

October 2009

What do these students have in common? Since they’re students at CSUMB, they are probably working towards achieving one or more learning outcomes. Have you ever wondered “to what extent are the learning activities described in my class syllabi aligned to help me achieve the course learning outcomes”, or, “I wonder what percentage of CSUMB students actually achieve the stated learning outcomes in ULR or major courses?”, or, “CSUMB seems different from other universities, I wonder if the alumni found these aspects of CSUMB’s educational model valuable” ?

As part of CSUMB’s work towards reaccreditation, SEP faculty member Dr. Swarup Wood has worked with colleagues across campus to develop and support research to address exactly these kinds of questions. The research will help us understand how well CSUMB is serving students and producing the kind of student learning that will help our graduates to be successful 21st century citizens and successful in their chosen careers. Most of you know that the faculty at CSUMB to be incredibly devoted to student learning and student success. The results of this research are likely to help us be even more effective in our work with students.

August 2009

The, California Transect class is back from its 12th annual trip studying Californian landscapes and environmental issues along a 1000-mile, 15-day route. Many photographs on the class web site illustrate the dramatic scenery, exciting natural history, science topics, and general group activities.

Story provided by Fred Watson.

July 2009

ESTP graduate Kelly Burwell received CSUMB’s Service Learning Institute’s Service Learning Major Award for her long-term and extensive work with the Chinatown Community Garden and her capstone project, “Community Food Security: An Assessment of the Chinatown Neighborhood in Salinas, California,” that compared the accessibility of healthy, sustainably produced food among local, economically diverse communities. Kelly Burwell and other students working at the Chinatown Community Garden, which provides low-income community members with skills and land for growing their own organic food, learn about challenges and opportunities for integrating environmental sustainability and social equity goals in the real world.
Story provided by Dan Shapiro.

June 2009

The first-ever Erik Edmonds Award for an Outstanding Capstone was presented to two SEP undergraduates for their outstanding integration of science and policy in their Honors Capstone Theses. Alon Keller received the award for his project "Transportation fuel taxes in the United States". Nicholas Donlou received the award for his project "Site fidelity and movements of blue rockfish (Sebastes mystinus) in Carmel Bay: implications for the efficacy of marine protected areas". This award is made possible by a generous donation to the Institute for Applied Marine Ecology (IfAME) by SEP alumnus Erik Edmonds, who wanted to honor students making strong links between science and policy in their undergraduate research.
Story provided by Ashley Knight.

May 2009

Students in Quantitative Field Methods (ENVS 350) learn how to collect and statistically analyze ecological data by working on applied projects. In April, the class worked with Bruce Delgado of the BLM Fort Ord Projects Office. On Fort Ord, sheep are brought in to seasonally graze the grasslands to increase the diversity and abundance of native plant life. CSUMB students having been collecting data on how effective sheep grazing has been at meeting these management goals for the past 5 years. Besides getting to spend time outside in the fields of lupines, students learn valuable quantitative skills and gain a connection with their local public lands and land managers.
Story provided by Suzy Worcester.

April 2009

SEP faculty researchers have a long track record of including students as active partners in their research – taking students into the field and giving them direct access to the tools of research. New to this equation is the recently formed Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC), lead by Dr William Head. The center works to support faculty-student collaboration through training, research, and professional development. Participating students come away from the UROC experience with a deeper appreciation of the research process, a thorough understanding of their curriculum content, and a clearer pathway to graduate school and post-college job opportunities. Students are given the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in the field, with the guidance of a faculty mentor. They contribute to large research projects and develop research questions of their own, which they then connect to the broader community through professional conferences and research publications. The UROC office is on the second floor of the Tanimura & Antle Family Memorial Library.
Story provided by Jessica Brown & Bill Head.

March 2009

In 2008, three SEP faculty members formed the Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (CyanoHAB) research cluster. Drs. Henrik Kibak, Marc Los Huertos, and Aparna Sreenivasan are utilizing biochemical, molecular genetic and ecological techniques to answer research questions regarding cyanobacteria toxicity in the Monterey Bay region.

The research lab (which currently has three undergraduates and one graduate student) is linked, in part, to courses that will be offered in Fall 2009: Environmental Biotechnology (BIO 444L) and Environmental Monitoring (ENVS 355). In Biology 444L, students will learn how to collect and test environmental samples using traditional molecular biology techniques. The interdisciplinary research cluster encourages both ESTP and BIO students to enroll in BIO 444L. In ENVS 355, students will learn to compare sampling methods, map Cyanobacteria populations, and evaluate potential causes of bloom formation.

The CyanoHAB lab is particularly interested in gauging the number and scale of cyanobacterial species that contain toxin genes in local rivers and streams. Recently, members of Los Huertos’ lab, through sample collection and microscopic analysis, found high numbers of potentially toxin-producing cyanobacteria in local waters. But exactly whether these cyanobacteria have the ability to produce toxins (i.e. contain toxin genes OR actually generate toxins) is unclear at this time.

To answer these questions, one of the CyanoHAB lab’s research projects is to generate simple molecular tools to identify organisms in environmental samples that contain particular toxin genes. The goal is to generate an effective and efficient method so that students can perform the experiments. It is the hope that these data can be used to assist local water purveyors and agencies in decision-making processes.
Story provided by Aparna Sreenivasan.

February 2009

In 2008 and 2009 CSUMB has offered, to the university and the Monterey Bay community, "Focus the Nation". This full-day event addresses issues associated with global warming and what can be done about them. It features a series of speakers at the University Center Ballroom, free food, and various student exhibits. In 2008, students (many through the Environmental Committee and the Environmental Science, Technology, and Policy (ESTP) program) volunteered their time and set up a "Green Dorm Room" in the Living Room of the University Center. Students are also the largest group of attendees, with over 350 attending the 2008 event. This year students are again playing a large role in the organization and execution of Focus the Nation. Several students from the College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences will be performing music and reading poetry as well. Twenty-seven different presenters will present on topics relating to global climate change, including 8 local mayors will be discussing initiatives related to reduction of the carbon footprint within their communities. For more information on the event, please see csumb.edu/green.
Story provided by Dan Fernandez.

January 2009

Each semester, students from Ecology (BIO 340/340L) explore the local marine and terrestrial ecosystems of the Monterey Bay region. In Fall 2008, the students took 3 trips to the Great Tide Pool in Pacific Grove, where Ed Ricketts was known to collect specimens, to study the rocky intertidal ecosystem. The students recorded patterns of abundance, distribution, and diversity of algae and invertebrates in the various zones of the rocky intertidal. First the students conducted a survey of species in the area by making a species-area curve, and then they measured diversity at different tidal levels (or other intertidal features). These data, collected each semester, may help us to see patterns related to disturbances like changing climate and human impacts in the intertidal zone.
Story provided by Susan Alexander.

December 2008

Three lucky graduate students from CSUMB’s Institute for Applied Marine Ecology had the marine biology research opportunity of a lifetime – living under the sea for eight days. SEP Professor James Lindholm, graduate students Jeremiah Brantner, Mathew Subia, and Ashley Knight, and undergraduate Nicholas Donlou headed to the Florida Keys in November for a study designed to understand the fine-scale movements and habitat utilizations of three coral reef species: black grouper, blue parrotfish, and hogfish. They observed over 150 individuals and dove for up to 7 hours per day, a benefit of saturation SCUBA diving made possible by the Aquarius Undersea Laboratory. Aquarius, the world’s only undersea habitat dedicated to scientific research, sits at a depth of 60 feet in the coral reef offshore of Key Largo and is owned and operated by NOAA and the University of North Carolina, Wilmington.
Story provided by Ashley Knight & James Lindholm.

November 2008

Students from the Geomorphic Systems class (GEOL 360) have now installed nearly 20 benchmarked cross sections across the Big Sur River and Arroyo Seco. Their reports, quantifying present channel geometry and stream bottom characteristics will form the baseline data required to evaluate the potentially catastrophic changes anticipated from the post-fire winter rains of 2008-09. These surveys, including hundreds of photo-monitoring shots, will help us understand how rapidly impacts occur, and how many years they linger. Our periodic resurveys and reports may help residents plan for flooding events. These data will be used in capstones and in at least one Masters thesis.
Story provided by Doug Smith.

October 2008

A field trip to Monterey Abalone Company lets CSUMB students get up-close and personal with friendly gastropods (abalone). Monterey Abalone is located underneath Pier #2 in Monterey Harbor and is an environmentally conscious aquaculture operation utilizing a rapidly renewable resource and one of the fastest growing plants on the planet, kelp, to feed the farm. The trip is part of one of two ESTP courses taught by Don Mautner: Introductory Oceanography (ESTP 271) and Monterey Bay: A Case Study in Environmental Science and Policy (ESTP 282). These courses also engage students in assessing wave action and coastal erosion at Del Monte Beach in Monterey.
Story provided by Don Mautner.

September 2008

The rainy season is just a month or two away. This is when planting of native plants in Salinas' riparian corridors, on the dunes, or in the BLM backcountry takes place - a favorite time for Laura Lee Lienk. Laura Lee wears multiple hats at CSUMB all revolving around "science in service to the community". In SEP, Laura Lee teaches "Community Based Watershed Service Learning" and supports other SEP faculty in their community partnerships for service learning courses. Laura Lee is also a Co-Director of the Watershed Institute where she directs the Return of the Natives Restoration Education Program (RON). Students and community members work with RON to restore local habitats - especially in uban situations where people need opportunities to be closer to nature!
Story provided by Laura Lee Lienk.

August 2008

Students Xeronimo Castaneda and Ben Nilsen are shown assisting with research at Point Lobos State Reserve that is being conducted through the Marine Landscape Ecology Lab at CSUMB. Under the supervision of Dr. Corey Garza students are assisting with the development of survey methods that can estimate scale dependency in the relationship between environmental factors, such as topographic complexity, and patterns of species distribution and abundance in rocky intertidal communities. General landscape ecology theory suggests that factors that affect species distribution and abundance at the scale of a few meters may not necessarily relate to species distribution and abundance at larger spatial scales. The data gathered by students in the lab will be used to develop GIS and statistical models that will help provide estimates as to how strongly physical and biological processes structure intertidal marine communities at local and regional scales. The development of such models can not only provide insight on the general relationship between environmental factors and species distribution but can also help guide environmental monitoring designs aimed at tracking the relationship between the environment and marine species at multiple scales.
Story provided by Corey Garza.

July 2008

In June, the California Transect class of 2008 completed a 1000-mile lap of the Sierra Nevada. Twenty-two students and seven staff completed the trip, taking in campsites, hikes, and field activities in diverse locations such as Mt Whitney Portal, Death Valley National Park, Mono Lake, and the Freeman Grove of Giant Sequoias. The class focuses on the aspects of environmental science and history that relate to contemporary issues such as water scarcity, climate change, threatened species, pollution, and public land managemet.

Over 400 photos of the trip can be browsed here.
Story provided by Fred Watson.

June 2008

ESSP undergraduates Mary Young and Miles Daniels participated in the 22nd annual system-wide CSU Student Research Competition against undergraduate students throughout the CSU system. Both competed in the Biological and Agricultural Sciences round. Mary presented her capstone project “Multivariate Prediction Models of Rockfish Abundance & Distribution in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, California”. Miles presented on “Inorganic Nutrient Removal from a Constructed Treatment Wetland in Monterey County, California” and won first place in his session!
Story provided by Rikk Kvitek & Fred Watson.

May 2008

Jon Detka, a SEP lecturer currently teaching FYS (First Year Seminar for Science Majors), Chem 110L, and PHYS 121L is working to conserve threatened and endangered rare plant species throughout Fort Ord and the Central Coast. Jon graduated from the ESSP program in 2001, and has just finished an MS at SJSU in Conservation Biology & Ecology by conducting research for USFWS and BLM that identified the potential affect of fire on a rare maritime chaparral shrub Eastwood's Golden Fleece (Ericameria fasciculata, Asteraceae). This work continues, and Jon is now building on this experience while working for Denise Duffy and Associates to monitor rare plant populations along the Central Coast.
Story provided by Jon Detka.

April 2008

Condor Tech Support Team. Graduate student Tamara Myers (left) and undergraduate student Katie Lannon are developing new technologies to help save the endangered California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus). These magnificent soaring birds came perilously close to extinction when, in 1982, a total of only 22 individuals remained alive. Intensive captive breeding programs have since raised those numbers to over 300. The Ventana Wildlife Society (VWS) is now leading efforts to reintroduce some of these condors to the steep mountains of Big Sur and the Ventana Wilderness, located less than an hour's drive south of CSUMB. Condors often travel over 100 miles a day, so tracking and monitoring them in these rugged mountains is a challenge. Tamara and Katie are working with VWS biologist Joe Burnett and Professor Steve Moore in CSUMB’s Ecosystem Electronics Laboratory (EEL) to develop video surveillance systems for remote monitoring of wild condor behavior during nesting and in pre-release pens. They are also experimenting with inexpensive ways to automate the tracking of condor movements in remote areas. Their research will help answer questions about condor biology and behavior and will assist VWS in its condor reintroduction efforts.
Story provided by Steve Moore.

March 2008

DNA Barcoding Cryptic Invaders. Over the past century all of Southern California's and most of Central California’s native Bay Mussels (Mytilus trossulus) have been replaced by the European Blue Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and no one noticed a thing. Because the two species appear so alike, one has to use DNA analysis to tell them apart. And because the mussels are so similar scientists hope to learn a lot about what it takes to make a successful invader. To help track the ongoing northward expansion of the invader, High School Biology Teachers and some Moss Landing graduate students have been working each summer with professors Henrik Kibak (CSUMB) and Simona Bartl (MLML) to sample the DNA of mussels from area waters.Based on this ongoing research experience, the teachers prepare lessons and practice techniques with a summer contingent of RISE students with the ultimate goal of sharing these concepts with their own classrooms. More info...

Story provided by Henrik Kibak.

February 2008

CSUMB students have been studying the future Fort Ord Dunes State Park as a living laboratory to study restoration in BIO 240L and to learn about natural history interpretation in ESSP 349S. These dunes were once used for target practice by soldiers stationed at Fort Ord. After the bullet casings were removed, State Parks staff teamed with Beach Garden Project volunteers to plant tens of thousands of dune plants to recreate the vibrant dune plant community that once existed there. CSUMB introductory biology students have been assessing the progress of this restoration effort by comparing it to a reference site at the Martin Dunes (co-owned by the Big Sur Land Trust). Biology students Mary McLellan and Sarah Park stand in front of a restored dune, while Lindsay Flores and Alex Vega collect vegetation data along a transect. In preparation for the Fort Ord Dunes State Parks grand opening, ESSP349S students, Daniel Miller, Esa Morrison, and Monique Flores, created an orientation sign with State Parks staff during fall semester 2007.
Story provided by Suzy Worcester.

January 2008

Students in Marine Geospatial Technologies and Seafloor Mapping (ESSP 433/533) conducted a hydrographic survey of Elkhorn Slough from CSUMB Seafloor Mapping Lab’s R/V VenTresca. Elkhorn Slough, one of California’s last remaining coastal wetlands, has been impacted by increasing tidal scour since the 1947 opening of Moss Landing Harbor. Class data will be compared with time series from previous surveys to assess changes in slough erosion rates for presentation at the May 2008 Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Symposium at CSUMB. Above, Brian Spear, Anthony Zelensky, and Eric Adams recover the multibeam sonar. Below, Jacob Hinkle and SFML staff/instructor Pat Iampietro monitor navigation and multibeam data collection.
Story provided by Rikk Kvitek.

December 2007

Students from the Geomorphic Systems class (GEOL 360) made high-precision surveys of a channelized reach of Carneros Creek to establish present stream conditions. Carneros Creek is the main waterway feeding water and sediment to the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. The creek is slated for wetland and stream restoration in coming months. The student-generated data will add to a long-term stream monitoring database, and will be used to create, and evaluate, restoration proposals. ESTP student Lauren Grounds records data from a cross section survey.
Story provided by Doug Smith.

November 2007

Last month, students from the BIO 345 Marine Biology class assisted in the collection of data at the Del Monte shalebeds, a diverse ocean seascape just off the coast of Cannery Row in Monterey. A small video camera (held by CSUMB student Josh Hess, in the picture) was deployed over the side of R/V MacGinitie and towed for 45 minute transects. Data on fish and invertebrate species as well as habitat attributes were recorded using a geospatial annotation system. These data will be integrated into a growing data library as CSUMB develops the shalebeds as a "living laboratory" for the conduct of student-driven scientific research.
Story provided by James Lindholm.

October 2007

Capstone student and CCoWS intern, Jessica Watson, is studying the life cycle of invertebrates in Carmel Lagoon. These invertebrates form part of the prey base for threatened steelhead trout rearing in the lagoon. The lagoon habitat was greatly expanded by State Parks in 2005 for the benefit of the trout. Previous CCoWS studies led by Dr Fred Watson have shown that the invertebrate populations fluctuate significantly, and Jessica's thesis aims to find out why. She's focusing on Corophium - a tiny crustacean that lives in tubes it builds on the sandy bottom of the lagoon. It is intended that this work will help future habitat enhancement projects in other lagoons optimize their steelhead habitat.
Story provided by Fred Watson.

September 2007

Graduate student Jeremiah Brantner and Dr. James Lindholm of CSUMB’s Institute for Applied Marine Ecology are investigating the effects of seafloor complexity on the use of acoustic telemetry. Currently, automated acoustic telemetry is widely utilized to address questions regarding the movement of aquatic organisms in relation to marine protected area (MPA) boundaries. While this technology provides researchers with a previously unavailable view of fish behavior, it is suspected that seafloor complexity (ie. high, rocky relief) plays a role in limiting the operating range of acoustic tracking devices. By quantifying these effects, researchers will gain a better understanding of fish behavior and thus the requirements of effective MPAs.
Story provided by James Lindholm.

August 2007

This summer, Dr. Marc Los Huertos of SEP and collaborators from UC Santa Cruz and Stanford University began work to characterize the biogeochemical processes occurring in the Harkins Slough Aquifer Storage Recharge System in Watsonville, CA. Water from Harkins Slough is pumped into this depression and percolates into the groundwater to be pumped later for irrigation purposes. Evidence suggests that nitrate in the pond is reduced as the water moves through the hyporheic zone toward the water table. Dr. Los Huertos and his colleagues are currently installing instruments to measure the water flux and nitrate removal when the pond is full.
Story provided by Marc Los Huertos.

July 2007

In an effort to improve water quality, growers along the Central Coast have collaborated with researchers at CSUMB's Division of Science and Environmental Policy to test the use of treatment wetlands to reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations and loads to surface waters that drain into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Many growers are willing to implement practices to improve water quality at their expense, but they want to determine if these efforts are cost effective. This research is the first step to determine the effectiveness of these treatment systems. This project has been developed in collaboration with the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County.
Story provided by Marc Los Huertos.

June 2007

Students and faculty from CSUMB’s Institute for Applied Marine Ecology joined scientists from the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary on board the NOAA ship McArthur II to study the recovery of seafloor habitats and associated taxa following the cessation of bottom trawling along California’s central coast. Data collected with the towed video camera sled (pictured above) will be used to compare areas that are no longer fished to areas that continue to be fished. This was year 2 of a multi-year collaborative study directed toward improving our understanding of the ecological consequences of fishing activity.
Story provided by James Lindholm.