USC Sea Grant News

Through the Lens of Orville Magoon

September 30, 2021

Every picture tells a story, and Orville Magoon has thousands depicting the California coast from a time before the rise of digital content. We are excited to share that these photos are now available to view through a new interactive story map created in part by USC Sea Grant. Designed to be a living digital record of pictures, stories, and media, learn more about his collection here

Connecting STEM to Student Roots

September 30, 2021

USC Sea Grant highlights recent student intern Daniela Loera and her path in pursuing an environmental science career. Ms. Loera was our intern for the 2021 Community Engaged Internship and recently completed the summer internship with an emphasis on informing policy and engaging communities about their influence on beaches through beach cleanups. Learn more here

USC Sea Grant Welcomes Dr. Amalia Almada

September 29, 2021

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Amalia Almada has joined USC Sea Grant as our new Science, Research and Policy Specialist! Dr. Almada has substantial expertise at the interface of science and policy and has extensive training in ocean science and social sciences. Read more about Dr. Almada and her new role at USC Sea Grant.

For the Love of the Beach

August 30, 2021

They say happiness is a day at the beach. Despite our coast's enduring beauty, our beaches face many challenges that USC Sea Grant is committed to addressing. In honor of National Beach Day (August 30th) and World Beach Day (September 1st), learn more about the research USC Sea Grant is funding to protect and preserve our beloved beaches here.

Increasing STEM Access to Inner City Youth

August 31, 2021

Virtual schooling placed stress on education and magnified learning disparities. In response, USC Sea Grant and the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies partnered with the Los Angeles Unified School District to further reach underserved populations through virtual school courses in 2020 and 2021. Read more about the details and success of this partnership here.

Sea Grant Announces 2022 Knauss Finalists


July 22, 2021. We are excited to announce that USC Sea Grant nominees Elliott Matthews and Nina Yang were recently selected as 2022 Knauss Fellowship finalists! Learn more about our finalists and learn about the fellowship program 
here.

Summer Safety Tips by the Water


June 30, 2021. As we move into another month of summer, it's important to review safety tips when visiting the water. We have compiled a list of top recommendations from Southern California organizations that are experts in enjoying water safely. Check out our list, including the new rip current safety toolkit recently released by NOAA and the U.S. Lifesaving Association, 
here

USC Sea Grant Highlighted by USC News


June 3, 2021. USC Sea Grant's interactive family program, 
Storytime with a Scientist, was recently highlighted by USC News as an impactful STEM initiative for Los Angeles students. Read the article to learn about how the virtual program series is teaching local students about the wonders of the scientific world. 

USC Sea Grant Internship Results in New Maps for Urban Tides Program


May 28, 2021. USC Sea Grant is excited to share the results of a year-long internship where two USC students created six maps for the 
USC Sea Grant Urban Tides Program. These maps highlight beaches and locations that people can document during their beach visits. Learn about these maps and read a story map of this project by clicking here

USC Sea Grant's Phyllis Grifman Receives Leadership Award


May 28, 2021. We are excited to share that USC Sea Grant Associate Director, Phyllis Grifman, was awarded the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) Advisory Council 2020 Leadership Award in April 2021. The council recognizes her outstanding leadership role during the difficult year of 2020 and effective efforts in leading diversity discussions across the nation. Read about Grifman's award 
here.

New Findings on Kelp Restoration Efforts


April 30, 2021. USC Sea Grant-funded research recently published findings on a decade-long study determining the effects of reducing sea urchin density in efforts to restore kelp forests in Southern California. Many years and collaborations later, along with an unexpected curveball halfway into the study, 
read about their findings here

USC Sea Grant Welcomes Lynn Whitley to the Team


April 30, 2021. USC Sea Grant is excited to welcome Lynn Whitley to the team this month. With over 25 years of experience working in the fields of science education and outreach, she will work with USC Sea Grant's education team to support our education programs, as well as to facilitate and engage with education programs across the region. 
Read more about Ms. Whitley here.

Earth Day Article on Climate Change Features USC Science Experts


April 15, 2021. In celebration of Earth Week 2021, USC News featured a story examining early solutions that address the impacts of climate change on California. The article features insight from USC science experts, including Melodie Grubbs, USC Sea Grant's Science, Research & Policy Specialist. 
Check out the article here.

Women's History Month Spotlight


March 30, 2021. In honor of Women's History Month, USC Sea Grant celebrates Dr. Dorothy Soule, a woman who was a huge part of USC Sea Grant’s early history and was a pioneer in marine science at a time when very few women were in the field. Featured in our newly created 
Pacific Currents online publication, read the article here.

New Results from USCSG-Funded Research on Beach Water Quality


February 26, 2021. USCSG-funded researchers recently developed a new predictive model to measure beach water quality. The model allows data-poor beaches to have accurate water quality data after just two days of sampling. This new method provides local decision-makers with the ability to better protect public health at beaches. 
Learn more here.

Congressional Briefing on Assessing Climate Vulnerability


January 29, 2021. Earlier this month, USC Sea Grant co-hosted a virtual congressional briefing on the assessment of climate vulnerability across the Los Angeles region. 
Learn more here.

Research Highlight: Tiny and Toxic


January 29, 2021. Harmful algal blooms are a common threat to Southern California and there are still a lot of unknowns that impact the ability to predict where toxins occur. 
Read this research spotlight article to learn about how USC Sea Grant-funded researchers became the first to document the existence of multiple blue-green algae toxins along the west coast and created a map of the presence of these toxins in our waters.

2020 News and Events

2019 News & Events

2018 News & Events

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