Elliott Campbell

Core Faculty
Earth Sciences, Policy & Governance
Associate Professor, Environmental Studies

Dr. Elliott Campbell is an Associate Professor and the Stephen R. Gliessman Presidential Chair in Water Resources and Food System Sustainability in the Environmental Studies Department at UC Santa Cruz. Dr. Campbell’s research emphasizes the use of regional and global models to extrapolate from small-scale field measurements to policy-relevant spatial scales, particularly within the context of agroecology and global biogeochemical cycles. This work has led to his CAREER award from the National Science Foundation, appearances in media ranging from NPR to The Economist, and consultations to the U.S. EPA and other government agencies. He serves on the Associate Editorial Board at Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment and the faculty advisory committee at the University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. Dr. Campbell received his BS and MS from Stanford University and his PhD from the University of Iowa, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Carnegie Institution for Science.

Christopher A. Edwards

Affiliated Faculty
Earth & Ocean Sciences
Professor, Ocean Sciences

Dr. Edwards uses ocean models to investigate dynamics of the coastal ocean, including the physical circulation, ocean ecosystem processes, and mechanisms for larval transport with implications for marine population connectivity.  He is also interested in ocean state estimation and data assimilation methods and their applications in the coastal ocean.

Andrew T. Fisher

Affiliated Faculty
Earth & Ocean Sciences
Professor, Earth & Planetary Sciences

Projects that occupy much of Andy’s time these days involve development of tools and methods to develop and run managed aquifer recharge (MAR) systems, to simultaneously benefit both water supply and water quality objectives. Enhancements to water supply will help to reduce groundwater overdraft, contributing to reductions in the extent of subsidence, seawater intrusion, loss from critical surface reservoirs (including streams, lakes, and wetlands), and associated damage to fragile and valuable ecosystems. MAR operations can be run as part of a regional strategy, generating significant benefits to water managers, regulators, stakeholders, and aquatic ecosystems by shifting resource use patterns on the basis of (often unpredictable) availability; this characteristic will become increasingly important in coming decades as climate changes force modification of resource availability and use patterns. Many studies of MAR systems have focused on physical aspects of their operation, particularly causes and impacts of clogging. We are also working on quantitative reduction to nitrate loads during MAR, and evaluating links between microbial activity and nitrate removal. Improvements to water quality during MAR operations have been documented in a few cases, but mechanisms and controls on associated processes are poorly understood. We are also completing a regional mapping and modeling study of potential to link stormwater collection with MAR, and are developing new field sites where this approach can be applied and benefits can be verified. These projects apply novel technologies and techniques, connect UCSC to the broader community, and provide opportunities for training of the next generation of water resource specialists. Fisher has also collaborated on studies of submarine groundwater discharge, relations between river flooding and wetland enhancement, quantifying rates of surface-subsurface exchange below streams, and links between sediment load and reductions in groundwater recharge.

Gary Griggs

Core Faculty
Earth & Ocean Sciences
Distinguished Professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences

Gary has taught at U.C. Santa Cruz for 53 years and served as the Director of the University’s Institute of Marine Sciences for 26 years where he led the development of the Coastal Science Campus. His work has focused on the coast of California and includes coastal processes, hazards, and the impacts of climate change and sea-level rise. He recently published his 12 th book. In 1998 he was given the Outstanding Physical and Biological Sciences Faculty Award and the Alumni Association honored him with a Distinguished Teaching Award in 2006. The California Coastal Commission and Sunset Magazine named him one of California’s Coastal Heroes in 2009, and in 2010 he was elected to the California Academy of Sciences. Gary chaired a committee in 2017 recommended by Governor Brown to update California’s sea-level rise projections. In 2016 he was appointed to the California Ocean Science Trust. He is also a member of the California Ocean Protection Council’s Science Advisory Team and served as chair of California’s 4th Climate Assessment Committee on Coasts and Ocean.

Paul Koch

Affiliated Faculty
Earth & Ocean Sciences
Dean, Division of Physical & Biological Sciences, Distinguished Professor,
Earth & Planetary Sciences, Institute of Marine Sciences

Paul’s research focuses on vertebrate paleoecology and evolution, which he places in environmental context through reconstruction of ancient ecosystems and climates. His work often includes biogeochemical analysis of animal tissues (teeth, bones, fur, skin, etc.) or environmental samples (soil minerals, fossil plants, etc.).

Raphael Kudela

Affiliated Faculty
Earth & Ocean Sciences
Professor, Ocean Sciences 

The Kudela lab is a key partner of the Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS), a national framework of integrated coastal observing systems covering coastal areas throughout the United States. The lab uses traditional and novel methods to monitor water quality and phytoplankton population dynamics in Monterey Bay. Part of the goal of CeNCOOS is to make this research readily available to the public, including timely information about algal blooms and ocean acidification. Recent projects in the Kudela Lab include developing guidelines for treatment of Pinto Lake (in collaboration with the Central Coast Water Board) and development of a Nutrient Assessment Framework for San Francisco Bay. Both project focus on the interplay of nutrient loading, harmful algae, and water quality, focusing on the link between terrestrial watersheds and the coastal ocean.

Adina Paytan

Affiliated Faculty
Earth Sciences
Research Scientist, Earth & Planetary Sciences,Ocean Sciences Department

Adina’s principal research interests lie in the fields of biogeochemistry, chemical oceanography and paleoceanography.  The goal of her research is to use the chemical and isotopic records enclosed in a wide range of earth materials to study present and past biogeochemical processes. This research spans a wide range of temporal (seasons to millions of years) and spatial (molecular to global) scales.  An over-arching goal of this research is to understand the processes and feedbacks operating in the Earth System and how they relate to global changes in climate and tectonics as well as natural and anthropogenically induced perturbations that affect biogeochemical processes and their impact on humans and the environment.

Borja González Reguero

Core Faculty
Earth & Ocean Sciences
Acting Associate Professor, Physical and Biological Sciences Division

Borja works at the intersection of coastal engineering, risk management, and policy to advance sustainable solutions in coastal areas. His research and teaching interests span areas of climate change and adaptation. At UC Santa Cruz and the Coastal Science and Policy Program, he studies how climate change affects coastal hazards and advances the use of natural infrastructure and nature-based solutions for climate resilience, as multi-faceted strategies to reduce risk from sea level rise and extreme weather events. In close partnership with the public and private sector, his work has informed new policy proposals to protect coastlines and coastal infrastructure in the U.S. and internationally, value U.S. coral reefs as natural infrastructure, and developed innovative resilience insurance concepts that align climate risk and environmental goals (e.g. reef insurance in Mexico and Hawaii). Dr. Reguero holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering and Environmental Hydraulics, a M.S. in Coastal and Port Engineering, and a M.S. in Applied Economics. 

Google scholar 

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wQRnX2AAAAAJ&hl=es

Dr. Reguero has been an advisor on the following CSP Capstone Projects:

Advancing Coastal Zone Management in Grenada: using ecosystem services and new technologies to inform climate-resilient coastal management in Grenada

Advancing Equitable Coastal Adaptation in the San Francisco Bay Area

Rising risk of climate and weather impacts on energy supply infrastructure