researcher on the beach  holding up water specimens.

Research

A global research university with an uncommon emphasis on undergraduate research and education, UC Santa Cruz is part of the world’s most celebrated system of public higher education, and stands among the most renowned institutions of higher learning.


Research news

Mangroves in Alice Town, Bahamas (Photo by Jessica Kendall-Bar, UC San Diego)

Mangroves provide nearly $1 trillion worth of flood protection globally

Mangroves have been shown to provide $855 billion in flood protection services worldwide, according to a new study from the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience.

Members of Wise Ancestors, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, and Neotropical Innovation at COP16, the world's largest biodiversity summit, in Colombia.

Centering Indigenous knowledge

Current and former UC Santa Cruz faculty and staff have joined with leading experts in the field of conservation genomics to launch Wise Ancestors, a nonprofit centering Indigenous peoples and local communities as co-creators of biodiversity conservation projects.

A humpback whale in front of cargo ships in the Santa Barbara Channel, off the California coast. (Credit: Adam Ernster)

Few protections for whales in shipping traffic

A UC Santa Cruz scientist who specializes in research at the intersection of big data and marine-life conservation has contributed to a new study that shows the vast majority of “hotspots” where ships collide with whales in the world’s oceans lack protections for the majestic giants.

Real-world experience

Undergraduates have the unique opportunity to participate in world-class research, both creative and scientific, at UC Santa Cruz. Both undergrad and graduate students gain academic experience and career exploration as they engage in the pursuit of knowledge.

person building a research device.

Research with impact


Student working in a lab using a pipette


Research programs and units

The campus’s research activities range from small groups within academic departments to large units with connections outside UC Santa Cruz.


Research support

The Office of Research is dedicated to working collaboratively with the UC Santa Cruz community to advance research and demonstrate its impact.

Two people posing for the camera with the ocean in the background and a drone hovering over them.
3 students outside the science and engineering library.

University library


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Last modified: Dec 06, 2024