July 18, 1996 Contact: Robert Irion (408) 459-2495; irion@ua.ucsc.edu

UC NATURAL RESERVE SYSTEM SUPPORTS STUDENT FIELD STUDIES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SANTA CRUZ, CA--Several UC Santa Cruz students pursuing research about California's striking and oft-imperiled flora and fauna benefited during the last academic year from awards granted by the UC Natural Reserve System.

Research projects funded in part by the Natural Reserve System ranged from studies of the physiology of elephant seals to the genetics of inbred animal species, such as condors. Grants also helped faculty members finance class trips to some of the reserves for intensive undergraduate field training.

Established by the UC Regents in 1965, the Natural Reserve System now encompasses 32 sites that represent a relatively pristine cross section of the state's diverse natural habitats. Each site is preserved for university-level teaching and research and is protected from most public access.

Researchers at UCSC oversee three of the reserves: Año Nuevo Island Reserve, a breeding ground for numerous marine mammals and seabirds between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay; Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve, a 4,000-acre swath of the Big Sur coast featuring an unspoiled watershed, conifer and hardwood forests, grassland, chaparral, and abundant wildlife; and Younger Lagoon Reserve, a 20- acre lagoon, beach, and coastal bluff adjacent to UCSC's Long Marine Lab on the west side of Santa Cruz.

Grants for the recently completed 1995-96 academic year went to the following students and researchers:

Mildred E. Mathias Graduate Research Awards, $2,000: Dorian Houser, Suzanne Kohin, and Sanjayan Muttulingam, all graduate students in biology.

Robert M. Norris Undergraduate Research Award, $1,000: Devon Pearse, senior in biology.

Undergraduate Course Travel Awards, $1,000 to support class trips to reserves: Giacomo Bernardi, assistant professor of biology, and John Pearse, professor emeritus of biology.

Undergraduate Independent Study Travel Awards, $250: Alysha Ficarra, senior in environmental studies; Karyn O'Hearn, recent graduate in environmental studies; and Jennifer Sandstrom, former student in biology and environmental studies.

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