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PODCAST

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz

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.

education earth sciences

All Episodes

00:38:45

Moss Landing Battery Plant Fire with Don Smith

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/09/30

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, failures in the response, and the data related to health impacts that communities still need. Don explains how community-led sampling detected battery-associated metals miles from the plant, why surface dust

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01:00:19

Fires, Floods, Earthquakes, & Storms with Dave Reid

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/09/23

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 catastrophic events. He shares lessons from the CZU fire, the power of Cruz Aware alerts, and the difficult choices behind Measure Q investments in wildfire reduction, water, parks, and infrastructure. This

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00:56:20

Sunflower Stars, the Urchin Roombas with Reuven Bank...

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/09/16

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 explain how their grassroots conservation effort grew from a volunteer project in a garage into a serious scientific initiative.They discuss the devastating effects of sea star wasting disease, marine heat

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00:58:07

Santa Cruz Surfing Turned into Climate Strategy with...

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/09/09

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 a newly defined category: the surf ecosystem. It is not just the break itself, but the geology that creates it, the marine life it supports, and the community built around it. That definition is already

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00:57:25

Sarah Gerhardt’s Life Lessons in Chemistry and Big...

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/09/02

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 molecules that shape our lives. As the first woman to ride the giant waves of Mavericks, Sarah knows the importance of a good wetsuit. She breaks down the science of neoprene and reflects on the evolution

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00:58:37

Air Quality & Farmworkers in Watsonville with Javier...

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/08/26

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 research focuses on designing drones that can improve measurements of air quality in agricultural areas. Growing up in a family of farmworkers inspires him to work closely with Pájaro Valley community groups

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00:44:29

DEEP DIVE: From Space Dust to Ocean Stuff with X...

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/08/19

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 professional pivot from outer space to ocean surfaces. His work with spectroscopy, or understanding how light changes color based on the materials it encounters, turns a palette of colors into clues about ecosystem

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00:43:54

DEEP DIVE: Extreme Genes and Animal Adaptations with...

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/08/12

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 overcome freezes, famine, and toxins. Observing how these adaptations are passed down, transformed, or eliminated in the genome can help scientists understand how such traits may help or hinder the animals’

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00:53:59

How Philanthropy Funds Resiliency with Hilary Bryant

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/08/05

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 Santa Cruz County where she helps people make impactful contributions to our present and future community. Hilary sat down with us in the studio to share her keen expertise on preserving what we hold dear in

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00:52:35

Brains Behind the Santa Cruz Water Supply with Heidi...

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/07/29

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 mind of a civil engineer and a heart for public service, Heidi is passionate about helping people understand the infrastructure they engage with every day. Her team at the Water Department developed Aqua Cruz:

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00:53:40

FIELD DIARY: Gelatinous Glowing Wonders of the Deep...

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/07/22

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 Research Institute (MBARI). Steve’s research focuses on the boneless, bioluminescent beings in a slice of the ocean thousands of feet below the surface. He brings Cassidy inside the control room for the

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01:03:23

DEEP DIVE: California's Marine Protected Area Network...

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/07/15

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 MPA’s all over the world.As a scientist, Eric brings a different perspective to his interviews. He still gets to the core of why this research matters to our community, but he also asks for some key behind

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00:44:32

"What would have to be true?" Sarah Newkirk of Land...

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/07/14

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 conservation strategies, community engagement, and innovative climate adaptation projects. Tune in to discover how local efforts in places like Santa Cruz can inspire global impact initiatives, and learn

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00:52:56

Senator John Laird on 50 Years of Conservation in...

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/07/08

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 and state governments. As he reflects on the past 50 years of environmental policy, he highlights the long-term mindset needed to tackle looming problems when short-term budgets and election cycles cloud the

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00:52:42

CSI: Condors, Ep. 1 - “Guts Full of Lead” with Myra...

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/07/01

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 scavenging species, including the iconic California Condor, and helped inform a ban on lead ammunition in the state. Tune in to learn what an isotope actually is and discover how bird feathers can provide a toxin

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01:00:00

Julie Packard, Live from Seymour Center

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/06/24

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 - https://montereybayfisheries.org/Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Background01:54 Journey into Science and Conservation06:05 The Role of Kelp in Ecosystems09:59 Challenges in Kelp Restoration14:48 The Southern Sea Otter

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00:52:37

FIELD DIARY: Gena Bentall on Sharing the Surf with...

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/06/17

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, they look past the viral headlines to track the energetic costs of sharing an intensely crowded coast with wild marine mammals. But as human curiosity pushes deeper into these fragile kelp forests, the

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01:03:18

Transforming the Pájaro River Levee with Andrew Fisher

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/06/10

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 sustainable solutions for flood control, habitat restoration, and groundwater recharge.00:00 The Pájaro River Flooding and Community Response10:14 Understanding Flood Risk and Management Strategies25:56 Exploring

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00:49:37

The Puma Guy, Chris Wilmers, on the Science of...

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/06/03

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 toothless "old man" puma targeting local livestock to the hidden ways backyard rat poison disrupts local food webs, Wilmers breaks down the true cost of human coexistence. As concrete barriers slice ancient

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01:06:44

Mayor Fred Keeley on How Santa Cruz Reshaped...

Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz ·

2026/05/27

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 final midnight hour of a governor's term, Keeley shares what it really takes to build a "Blue Wall" for the coast. But with old political battles over offshore drilling and seabed mining rearing their heads

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