In this project, we aim to quantify the socioeconomic benefits associated with the SMRP, assess ecosystem service benefits by restoring fish passage and river connectivity, develop a transferable valuation framework to better communicate returns on public investment, and to produce communication tools to assist in demonstrating the value of restoration to stakeholders and policymakers.
This project, conducted in partnership with The Nature Conservancy Hawaiʻi and the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife, seeks to identify and map high-potential restoration areas, characterize wetland bird interactions, and incorporate Traditional Ecological Knowledge to inform and advance this effort to restore the Ukumehame wetlands of West Maui.
This project will identify suitable areas to implement locally-tuned models of forest restoration and agroforestry in the Upper Guinean Forest region, accounting for future risks from climate change and land conversion to ensure the long-term success of Natural Climate Solutions (NCS), and develop regional planning and management recommendations to mitigate risks to NCS and bolster community resilience through restoration and agroforestry.
This project supports the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight (DPMO) at the California Energy Commission, which is responsible for providing guidance and recommendations to state policymakers regarding the transportation fuels market and fuels prices. It aims to produce an evidence-based conceptual framework for understanding and navigating this supply transition.
Using spatial and connectivity analysis, this project will pinpoint existing barriers to potential movement corridors in order to identify suitable areas for pollinator habitat installation or restoration. Although quantitative data tools will be at the heart of our technical analysis, we also want to understand the experience of the farmers to assess whether or not expanding pollinator habitat is feasible. ArcGIS and Google Earth will be used to establish current conditions, followed by a connectivity analysis using Circuitscape, an open-source modeling tool that is used for wildlife corridor design and movement ecology.
This Impact Project aims to support and advance initial implementation of the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). The project will analyze the New England/Corner Rise Seamounts and the Northeast Pacific Seamounts as potential sites for proposed Marine Protected Areas (MPA) or Area-Based Management Tools (ABMT) under the BBNJ Agreement. Both seamounts serve as critical, nutrient-rich habitats for deep-sea biodiversity, and create feeding grounds for marine mammals, seabirds, and commercially important fish species.
This project will evaluate the impact of tourism in Kotor and develop feasible management strategies to optimize the relationship between environmental impact and socioeconomic benefit. Management strategies will be informed by socioeconomic and environmental models. A critical piece of this project includes understanding how local businesses in Kotor experience and depend on cruise tourism. By balancing environmental protection with economic and social considerations, the proposed strategies seek to center equitable outcomes for local communities and enhance residents’ quality of life while maintaining the long-term viability of the tourism sector. As global tourism continues to expand and place increasing pressure on natural and social systems, this project aims to develop evidence-based sustainable tourism models that can be applied to destinations worldwide.
This project aims to provide the Economic Research Institute (ERI) of the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan with a data-driven decarbonization strategy for Almaty and Astana. Specifically, the project seeks to establish baseline carbon and pollutant footprints for the residential heating and urban transport sectors; identify which policy interventions, such as coal-to-gas transition, heat pump adoption, or public transit electrification, yield the highest emission reductions per dollar invested; and develop a carbon-neutral roadmap that integrates these technical solutions within Kazakhstan's existing national policy framework.
Considering the water needs of fire-resilient plant species, this project focuses on alternative water sources, such as greywater, treated wastewater, and stormwater infiltration that could support the cost-effective maintenance of VGBs. Through assessing existing regulations, energy requirements, technical feasibility, and incorporating community perspectives, this project will develop an integrated framework to identify how and where VGBs can effectively mitigate wildfire risk.
This project will analyze the sports broadcast production process to identify key emission sources, develop a standardized carbon footprinting methodology aligned with GHG Protocol principles, and establish industry benchmarks for common sports broadcast scenarios. The resulting tools and guidance will help studios and production companies complete more accurate corporate GHG inventories, comply with emerging regulatory requirements, and design meaningful emissions reduction strategies.
This project partners with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to expand FishKit's capabilities, an open-access platform designed to support community-based fisheries management. Currently, FishKit's toolbox relies on fisheries-dependent data that many small-scale fisheries struggle to obtain. This project will expand FishKit's capabilities to include fisheries-independent data, better supporting the sustainable management of these fisheries. The team will develop an accessible framework and an evaluation tool for analyzing fisheries-independent data, informed by a review of survey methodologies and engagement with end users.
InterWoven will address this bottleneck for apparel and footwear brands by translating legal frameworks into clear, actionable steps for regulatory compliance. By clarifying exactly what is needed to build a compliant disclosure, InterWoven empowers companies to prepare strategically rather than reactively. InterWoven supports sustainability teams as they move from scoping to compliance to action on one platform.
This project addresses California's textile waste crisis, where millions of tons of clothing and textiles are landfilled annually, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental justice concerns. California's newly enacted SB 707, the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, establishes an Extended Producer Responsibility framework requiring producers to fund collection and recycling programs, but implementation pathways remain unclear. This research will develop a comprehensive baseline assessment of California's textile waste streams, conduct an environmental assessment of different end-of-life management approaches, and create implementation frameworks to support the transition to circular textile systems under SB 707.
Coastal erosion and sea level rise are reshaping the UCSB and Isla Vista coastline, with visible impacts on beaches, dunes, and cliffs. This capstone develops a story for The Current that highlights coastal adaptation efforts and perspectives through interviews, visual storytelling, and local examples of restoration and shoreline management.
This project aims to develop a baseline environmental understanding of the CHNMS region by assessing habitats and the status and trends of key species within its boundaries. This foundational assessment will use current literature and historical datasets to identify regional trends and monitoring gaps. These findings will inform the sanctuary’s first Condition Report and Climate Vulnerability Assessment, guiding future management and conservation strategies.
This project is a strategic communications toolkit that Heal the Bay and partner agencies will utilize in the aftermath of climate-driven emergencies that threaten coastal water quality. A comprehensive messaging framework across partner agencies and organizations will ensure consistent, accurate and equity-centered communication during recovery.
Black bears play a crucial ecological role; contributing to biodiversity and ecosystem health through services such as seed dispersal, scavenging, and nutrient cycling. Known to be more abundant and smaller than their grizzly counterparts, they have similar impacts on the ecosystem as they increase soil fertilization through their foraging behaviors and influence the movement of other forest species. In recent years, black bears have been expanding their range into California’s Northern Bay Area. Their gradual movement through this increasingly developed ecosystem inevitably results in more frequent conflict with humans in urban areas. While researchers are still unsure about the cause of this movement, it is clear that there is a need to find methods of sustainable coexistence between humans and black bears. By identifying a safety corridor for black bears and proposing land management techniques, the team aims to improve human-bear interaction outcomes.
The Coal Oil Point Reserve hopes to study UCSB students to facilitate the growth of an inclusive and respectful culture between the university and the reserve. Fostering awareness and appreciation for ongoing conservation efforts, this multi-part campaign includes a communication survey, strategic messaging plan, and visual giveaways to encourage positive engagement with the reserve ecosystem.
The proposed project will analyze BOEM’s current permitting framework to identify key challenges, opportunities for improvement, and potential pathways to facilitate the development and implementation of small-scale projects. Possible approaches include regulatory mapping, case study examination of existing small-scale projects, and policy scenario modeling. As state and federal governments are striving for carbon reduction targets, developing a well-defined renewable energy portfolio will be paramount. This portfolio should encompass a variety of generation methods and scale sizes to optimize potential renewable energy capacity.
Well, Well, Well: An Intro to Groundwater Recovery is an accessible and engaging educational booklet about groundwater. Drawing on Dr. Scott Jasechko's research, the booklet examines the three interventions for groundwater overdraft through the lens of seven US case studies.
