Coastal Science Campus facts for kids
The Coastal Science Campus in Santa Cruz, California, is a special place where scientists study the ocean and its creatures. It's part of the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). This campus is home to five main groups: UCSC's Long Marine Laboratory, the Coastal Biology Building, the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, and the California Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center.
.jpg)
The campus is located at the western end of Santa Cruz, California. It's about a 10-minute drive from UCSC's main campus. It sits right next to the Younger Lagoon Reserve, a protected natural area. There are walking trails all over the campus. Local people use these trails for walking, biking, and watching birds.
Contents
History of the Campus
Building a marine laboratory near the ocean was a big goal for UC Santa Cruz since it started in 1965. In 1972, Mrs. Marion Stowell Younger and her husband, Donald, gave 40 acres of land for a marine lab and a natural reserve. This land includes the Younger Lagoon Reserve, which is a wetland area that hasn't been disturbed much. It also has flat areas perfect for buildings.
The Long Marine Lab opened in late 1978. It became the main place for UCSC professors and students to do ocean research. The Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center opened in 1997. It is owned by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Seymour Marine Discovery Center, which teaches the public about the ocean, opened in its current building on March 11, 2000. Construction for the Coastal Biology building started in May 2015 and was finished in September 2017.
Amazing Institutions on Campus
The Coastal Science Campus has several important institutions. Each one plays a different role in studying and protecting our oceans.
Joseph M. Long Marine Laboratory
This lab is run by UCSC and is home to UCSC's Institute of Marine Sciences. The Long Marine Lab mainly focuses on marine sciences. It has special outdoor pools and pens where scientists can keep seals, sea lions, sea otters, and dolphins. It also has labs that use seawater, a place for scuba diving, and offices for students and teachers.
Coastal Biology Building
Also managed by UCSC, this building supports research and teaching about coastal areas. Scientists here study how to protect coastlines, the environment, and how to restore natural habitats. They also look at how climate change affects these areas. Most of UCSC's Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department works here.
Seymour Marine Discovery Center
This center is connected to UCSC and is the public part of the Long Marine Lab. It's a great place for people to learn about the ocean. The center has a small aquarium and a touch tank. You can see many local ocean animals there, like swell sharks, sea nettles, cabezon, red octopus, and purple urchins.
Southwest Fisheries Science Center
This is a research center run by the United States government, specifically by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Scientists here study fish populations in California. They focus on managing fisheries and making sure there are enough fish for the future. They often study rockfish and salmon.
Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center
This center is managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Its main job is to rescue and help marine animals, especially sea otters, that have been hurt by oil spills. They also do research on the health of marine wildlife.
The Giant Blue Whale Skeleton
The blue whale skeleton at the campus is called "Ms. Blue." It is the largest blue whale skeleton displayed anywhere in the world! It's one of only four blue whale skeletons shown in North America. Ms. Blue is 18 feet tall and 87 feet long. She was not fully grown when she washed ashore near Pescadero, California, on September 6, 1979.
Soon after she was found, biologists and students from UC Santa Cruz started removing her flesh and blubber. This process took about a month. The skeleton was then moved by helicopter and truck to the marine lab. It lay in a grassy field for over a year before being buried. Burying the bones helped nature's tiny helpers (decomposers) clean away any leftover tissue and oil.
In the summer of 1985, the bones were dug up. A local geologist and museum expert, Frank Perry, was hired to clean the bones and put them together for display. He worked with lab staff and experts from other museums. They built a strong steel frame to hold the bones and create the natural curve of the whale's spine. This big job was finished in 1986.
In 1999, the skeleton was moved and fixed up again. When the whale was first found in 1979, some bones were lost to the ocean tides. Others were crushed by the whale's huge weight, or even stolen by people looking for souvenirs. Dr. Dave Casper, a UCSC veterinarian, recreated the 60 missing bones. He made molds from bones borrowed from other museums or used similar bones from Ms. Blue's own skeleton. The flipper bones, which were originally close to the body, are now shown in a swimming position.
Marine Protected Area
The Natural Bridges State Marine Reserve is a special underwater park located off the coast near the Long Marine Laboratory. Like parks on land, this marine protected area helps protect ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems. It keeps the ocean healthy for all creatures.
Desalination Plant
During a drought in Santa Cruz in the late 1970s, the Soquel Creek Water District and the city of Santa Cruz decided to work together on a desalination plant. A desalination plant takes salty ocean water and turns it into fresh drinking water. The city hasn't added to its water supply since that drought. So, this plant would help make sure there's enough water, especially during future dry periods. A test desalination facility is being built at the city's Long Marine Lab.
|
