Central Coast Naturalist

This week, host Frankie Gerraty reports on the ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (a severe form of "bird flu") affecting marine mammals on the central California coast.

On this episode, host Niki Sridhar discusses the current superbloom in Death Valley, exploring the conditions that lead to these events and their ecological impacts on surrounding ecosystems.

In this two-part conversation, ecologist Bastien Dehaudt shares his PhD research in Cameroon, where he studied duikers, small forest antelopes that play a large role as seed dispersers. He explains that duikers disperse seeds through two primary internal pathways: regurgitation and defecation. Together, these pathways influence how far seeds travel, where they establish, and which tree species successfully regenerate. Bastien's work expands our understanding of how different dispersal pathways function, how mammals shape forest composition, and why protecting wildlife is essential for sustaining the ecological processes that maintain tropical forest diversity.

In this two-part conversation, ecologist Bastien Dehaudt shares his PhD research in Cameroon, where he studied duikers, small forest antelopes that play a large role as seed dispersers. He explains that duikers disperse seeds through two primary internal pathways: regurgitation and defecation. Together, these pathways influence how far seeds travel, where they establish, and which tree species successfully regenerate. Bastien's work expands our understanding of how different dispersal pathways function, how mammals shape forest composition, and why protecting wildlife is essential for sustaining the ecological processes that maintain tropical forest diversity.

On this week's episode, host Frankie Gerraty interviews Marina Luccioni—a PhD student at Stanford—about the diverse ways that lunar cycles influence wildlife.

On this week's episode, host Emma Yockman interviews Garrett Shipway, a PhD student studying elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Park. We learn together about what the elephant seals are up to for the New Year, at New Year's Island!

In this week's episode, host Emma Yockman interviews Santa Cruz local lichen & bryophyte expert Ken Kellman, and learns about their tiny lives.

In this week's episode, host Frankie Gerraty discusses the two skunk species that live along the Central California coast.

In this week's episode, host Emma Yockman interviews Santa Cruz local oak expert Al Keuter about how the wonderful world of oak trees (genus: Quercus).

Happy spooky season! This week, host Frankie Gerraty talks to spider aficionado Ciara Wanket about tarantulas.