ɫ��APP�� Science and Climate News

Tahoe State of the Lake Report Released for 2024

Katherine E Kerlin — July 17, 2025

The ɫ��APP�� Tahoe Environmental Research Center today released its “Tahoe: State of the Lake Report ,” which presents data from 2024 in the context of the long-term record.

Plants Seek Friendly Environments Rather Than Adapt

Andy Fell — July 01, 2025

As jewelflowers spread into California from the desert Southwest over the past couple of million years, they settled in places that felt like home, according to a new study from the University of California, Davis. The work, published July 1 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that the ability of plants and animals to adapt to changing climates might be more limited than it appears.

Massive Burps of Carbon Dioxide Led to Oxygen-less Ocean Environments in the Deep Past

Andy Fell — June 23, 2025

New research from the University of California, Davis, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Texas A&M University reveals that massive emissions, or burps, of carbon dioxide from natural earth systems led to significant decreases in ocean oxygen concentrations some 300 million years ago.

Lake Tahoe Clarity Report: Trend Stable, Not Improving

Katherine E Kerlin — June 16, 2025

ɫ��APP�� Tahoe Environmental Research Center releases its annual Tahoe Clarity Report.

Fish ‘Beauty Salons’ Offer Insight into How Microbes Move Within Reefs

Katherine E Kerlin — June 05, 2025

Where do you go when you’re a fish and you need a skincare treatment? Coral reefs contain natural “beauty salons,” lively social hubs of activity where fish “clients” swim up and wait to be serviced by smaller fish cleaners. The little cleaners dart under and around their much bigger clients — even entering their mouths — cleaning their scales of bacteria and parasites like a team of car washers servicing a Buick. Sometimes cleaners even rub against their clients, providing a soothing massage.

EV Battery Recycling Key to Future Lithium Supplies

Andy Fell — May 29, 2025

Lightweight, powerful lithium-ion batteries are crucial for the transition to electric vehicles, and global demand for lithium is set to grow rapidly over the next 25 years. A new analysis from the University of California, Davis, published May 29 in Nature Sustainability, looks at how new mining operations and battery recycling could meet that demand. Recycling could play a big role in easing supply constraints, the researchers found.

Extreme Weather Cycles Change Underwater Light at Tahoe

Katherine E Kerlin — May 21, 2025

Large shifts in UV radiation at Lake Tahoe are associated with wet and dry climate extremes, finds a ɫ��APP�� study.

Native Turtles Return to Yosemite After Removal of Invasive Bullfrogs

Katherine E Kerlin — May 20, 2025

After invasive American bullfrogs croak, native turtles return to Yosemite, finds a ɫ��APP�� study.

Helping Birds and Floating Solar Energy Coexist

Katherine E Kerlin — May 12, 2025

How might floating solar energy projects impact wild birds and vice versa? A ɫ��APP�� paper outlines key considerations for a growing floating solar industry.

Sulfur Runoff Amplifies Mercury Concentrations in Florida Everglades

Katherine E Kerlin — May 08, 2025

Sulfur from sugarcane crops is flowing into wetlands in the Florida Everglades, creating toxic methylmercury, which accumulates in fish, a ɫ��APP�� study finds.

A New Record for California’s Highest Tree

Katherine E Kerlin — April 17, 2025

A ɫ��APP�� professor's pleasure hike in the High Sierra turned into a new elevation record for California's highest tree, the Jeffrey pine, which wasn't formerly known to grow at extreme elevations.

Restored Stream Supports New Wild Salmon Run

Katherine E Kerlin — March 20, 2025

A ɫ��APP�� study confirms Putah Creek origin salmon for first time, marking a win for creek restoration and wild salmon, and providing hope for other degraded streams around the globe.

Burning Question: How to Save an Old-Growth Forest in Tahoe

Katherine E Kerlin — March 03, 2025

On the shores of Lake Tahoe at Emerald Bay State Park grows what some consider to be the most iconic old-growth forest in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Giant ponderosa pines — some of the last remaining in the area — share space with at least 13 other tree species.

Energy and Transportation Experts

Katherine E Kerlin — February 07, 2025

The following sources from the University of California, Davis, are available to talk with media about climate change impacts and solutions related to energy and transportation.

Find more energy and transportation experts and learn about their research at the ɫ��APP�� Institute of Transportation Studies and Energy and Efficiency Institute websites.

Vanilla Farmers Search for a Crop and Conservation Sweet Spot

Katherine E Kerlin — February 06, 2025

Vanilla is vital to the livelihoods of farmers in Madagascar, where the globally popular dessert ingredient is the country’s No. 1 export. A fun, thought-provoking game designed by a team of scientists and played by Malagasy vanilla farmers reveals the challenges of payment programs that incentivize forest conservation in the region, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis.

Clear Lake Water Quality Report Recommends Rehabilitation Strategy

Katherine E Kerlin — January 29, 2025

Clear Lake's water quality suffers from low-to-no-oxygen conditions, finds a report from ɫ��APP�� Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

How Urban Streams, Climate Change and Unhoused People Intertwine

Katherine E Kerlin — January 27, 2025

A search for compassionate, sustainable solutions takes researchers to Bay Area streams to investigate the intersections of climate change, urban streams and unhoused people.

Dining Out with San Francisco’s Coyotes

Katherine E Kerlin — January 22, 2025

As their traditional dining options dwindle, the native coyotes of San Francisco are shifting what they eat. A ɫ��APP�� study reveals what's on the menu.

Little Birds, Little Poops, Little Food Safety Risk

Katherine E Kerlin — January 21, 2025

It doesn’t require a degree in ornithology, a lab test or even an app for most growers to determine whether bird poop near their crops presents a food safety risk. They just need to ask themselves a simple question: How big is it?

Mussel Bed Surveyed Before World War II Still Thriving

Katherine E Kerlin — January 16, 2025

A mussel bed in northern California is as healthy and biodiverse as it was about 80 years ago, when two young students surveyed it shortly before one was sent to fight in World War II, finds a new ɫ��APP�� study.

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