Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz

Seymour Studios
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Hosted by Jonathan Hicken, Executive Director of the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, this podcast spotlights groundbreaking research in Santa Cruz, California, and shares actionable, positive environmental news from the region. Featuring in-depth conversations with scientists from UC Santa Cruz and beyond, along with local leaders and environmental experts, the show makes complex science accessible while highlighting real progress and tangible solutions protecting our unique coastal community.

  1. 4 hr ago

    Rebuilding Whale Bones with Shrimp Shells with Zoё Weber

    As the Seymour Center looked for ways to repair Ms Blue sustainably, they came across Marco Rolandi’s lab and graduate student Zoё Weber. In this episode, learn about how they used shrimp shell waste to repair Ms Blue. Make sure to check out the full documentary episode on YouTube and join us at the Seymour Marine Center on November 8th from 11am-3pm for Ms Blue Returns, Marine Science Fest! Details are below; see you there! Documentary:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twD4TCAvRRQ&list=PLMif4c5zvokzJ3P2sqBVKaeHahYPptecY&index=1 Tickets: https://linktr.ee/seymour_center Chapters: 0:00 - Documentary Trailer 4:04 - The Scientific Method 7:26 - Why Shrimp Shells? 12:22 - Chemistry of the Putty 16:56 - Using the Repair Putty 21:06 - Repairing Ms Blue

  2. 21 Oct

    Surfboards and Whale Bones with Patricio Guerrero

    Restoring Ms Blue’s skeleton sustainably is the Seymour Center’s top priority. Swell Cycle co-founder and CEO Patricio Guerrero is using large-format 3D printing to create high-performance surfboards with less waste and is working with the Seymour Center to restore Ms Blue. Make sure to check out the full documentary episode on YouTube and join us at the Seymour Marine Center on November 8th from 11am-3pm for Ms Blue Returns, Marine Science Fest! Details are below; see you there! Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twD4TCAvRRQ&list=PLMif4c5zvokzJ3P2sqBVKaeHahYPptecY&index=1 Tickets: https://linktr.ee/seymour_center Swell Cycle: https://swellcyclesurfboards.com/ Chapters: 00:00 — Ms Blue Returns series 03:35 — A surfboard sparks change 05:03 — Waste in manufacturing 08:42 — Large-format 3D printing 11:59 — Designing the board 18:53 — A more sustainable process 22:22 — Plastic waste 25:29 — Printing Ms Blue’s bones

  3. 14 Oct

    The Untold Story of Ms. Blue with Steve Davenport

    In honor of Ms Blue’s return to the Seymour Center, this podcast episode features Steve Davenport, a longtime UCSC marine science leader. Steve shares the stories of how this iconic blue whale was recovered, restored, and brought back to life. Make sure to check out the full documentary episode on YouTube and join us at the Seymour Marine Center on November 8th from 11am-3pm for Ms Blue Returns, Marine Science Fest! Details are below; see you there! Full YouTube ep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLxiov60njo Marine Science Fest info: https://linktr.ee/seymour_center Chapters: 00:00 — Celebrating Ms Blue’s Return 02:03 — Steve Davenport’s Marine Lab 05:51 — Ms Blue Washes Ashore 09:33 — The Whale’s Dramatic Arrival 13:38 — The Reality of Recovery 19:20 — Building the First Mount 23:23 — Restoring the Missing Bones 29:13 — Ms Blue’s Florida Detour 34:35 — Becoming a Campus Icon 41:19 — Testing New Restoration Materials

  4. 7 Oct

    Saving Whales Using Drone Technology with Gina Lonati

    Climate change is pushing whales to change faster than the people who study them can keep up. Cetacean research senior manager Gina Lonati reveals how drones, thermal imaging, and long-term monitoring are transforming the way scientists track gray whales, humpbacks, and entanglement risk along the California coast. Marine Mammal Center Hotline for injured animals: 415-289-SEAL Chapters: 00:00 — Duchess of Anchovy rescue 05:38 — Drones spark whale research 09:54 — Inside the Marine Mammal Center 13:48 — Tracking changing whale populations 18:31 — Humpbacks face growing threats 22:44 — Preparing for ocean changes 28:02 — Ropeless crab gear explained 31:43 — A day surveying whales 37:33 — Drones transform whale science 44:26 — The disentanglement mission

  5. 30 Sept

    Moss Landing Battery Plant Fire with Don Smith

    After a second fire at the Moss Landing battery plant, residents still face urgent questions: what entered the air, what reached people, and why are answers so hard to find? UCSC environmental toxicology expert Don Smith joins the podcast to unpack the science behind lithium-ion battery fires, failures in the response, and the data related to health impacts that communities still need. Don explains how community-led sampling detected battery-associated metals miles from the plant, why surface dust can reveal contamination, and how delayed testing leaves health risks difficult to assess. If you want to learn about the Moss Landing fires implications for battery storage, public trust, and California’s clean energy future, be sure to tune into this episode! Chapters: 00:00 — Why Moss Landing matters 01:19 — Revisiting the first battery fire 03:19 — Community concerns and communication 05:06 — The community-led sampling effort 06:39 — What dust wipes reveal 08:43 — Metals in batteries 09:44 — How fire particles travel 12:36 — Symptoms and missing health data 17:37 — Measuring metals in samples 19:34 — Lessons from lead research 22:42 — The clean energy dilemma 28:04 — The cost of uncertainty 31:34 — Hair testing and exposure evidence

  6. 23 Sept

    Fires, Floods, Earthquakes, & Storms with Dave Reid

    Santa Cruz County faces wildfire, floods, earthquakes, and coastal storms nearly every year. Dave Reid, director of the Office of Response, Recovery and Resilience, explains how local leaders prepare for disasters, coordinate emergency responses, and help communities like Santa Cruz rebuild after catastrophic events. He shares lessons from the CZU fire, the power of Cruz Aware alerts, and the difficult choices behind Measure Q investments in wildfire reduction, water, parks, and infrastructure. This conversation explores natural disasters, evacuation planning, grant funding, everyday preparedness, and offers practical ways residents can protect their households while strengthening the resilience of the entire community over time. Sign up for Cruz Aware alerts at Login | CruzAware Portal and learn more about Measure Q funding at Measure Q Funding Distribution! Chapters: 00:00 — Why Santa Cruz County Needs Disaster Readiness 01:24 — Building a New Office After the CZU Fire 03:21 — Rebuilding the Community’s Disaster Memory 06:15 — How Cruz Aware Alerts Protect Residents 08:57 — What Response, Recovery, and Resilience Mean 13:54 — Why Disaster Recovery Takes Years 18:35 — Prioritizing Limited Resources 24:23 — Making Wildfire Projects “Shovel Ready” 37:08 — Measure Q and the Future of Resilience Funding 54:36 — What Residents Can Do to Prepare Now

  7. 16 Sept

    Sunflower Stars, the Urchin Roombas with Reuven Bank and Andrew Kim

    Description: California’s kelp forests are in crisis, but an unexpected solution may be making a comeback: the sunflower star, a giant sea star that once helped keep urchin populations in check and kelp forests healthy. In this episode, Reuven Bank and Andrew Kim of the Sunflower Star Laboratory explain how their grassroots conservation effort grew from a volunteer project in a garage into a serious scientific initiative.They discuss the devastating effects of sea star wasting disease, marine heat waves, and unchecked urchin populations, along with the sunflower star’s unique role as a keystone predator. They also explore why restoration must move quickly but responsibly, including the importance of genetic diversity, permitting, survivorship studies, and long-term funding. If you want to donate or learn more about Reuven and Andrew’s work, go to sunflowerstarlab.org! Chapters: 00:00 - Meet the Sunflower Star Recovery Team 01:45 - From Garage Startup to Conservation Lab 05:47 - What Caused California’s Kelp Decline? 08:22 - Why Sunflower Stars Matter 16:41 - Raising Sea Stars in the Laboratory 20:48 - How Sunflower Stars Reproduce 24:20 - Preparing for Responsible Restoration 26:28 - Outplanting Experiments in Monterey Bay 46:12 - New Tools for Conservation 52:55 - How Everyone Can Help

  8. 9 Sept

    Santa Cruz Surfing Turned into Climate Strategy with Nik Strong-Cvetich

    Description: What if a surf break was more than a wave? Nik Strong- Cvetich reveals why surf ecosystems are worth protecting, how they shape local economies, and why Santa Cruz could become a model for coastal conservation everywhere. Save the Waves CEO Nik Strong-Cvetich unpacks the idea behind a newly defined category: the surf ecosystem. It is not just the break itself, but the geology that creates it, the marine life it supports, and the community built around it. That definition is already helping conservationists make the case for policy, stewardship, and climate planning in Santa Cruz and beyond. Nik also shares how Save the Waves uses coalition-building, research, and local partnerships to protect surf-dependent places in places like Peru, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Chile, and California. Along the way, he explains why Cowells Beach went from one of the dirtiest beaches in the state to a stewardship success story, how innovative insurance ideas could one day fund reef and coastline restoration, and how surf communities in Santa Cruz and across the world are fighting climate change. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to Nik Strong Cvetich and Save The Waves 02:22 - Defining the term “surf ecosystems” 05:34 - How local communities fit into surf ecosystems 09:19 - What real protection requires: coalition, policy, and stewardship 13:12 - How sea level rise and infrastructure can reduce surfability 14:50 - Climate uncertainty, El Niño, and why surfer observations matter 20:23 - How Save the Waves is thinking about long term stewardship funding 31:15 - Generational knowledge and in surf communities 33:27 - Awards, innovation recognition, and what matters most to the mission 39:31 - Why impact matters more than recognition 43:38 - What’s next in Santa Cruz, Malibu, and across California 47:53 - Future projects across the world 51:26 - Why surfers and other users of wild places can be conservation allies 55:51 - How listeners can get involved with Save the Waves

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About

Hosted by Jonathan Hicken, Executive Director of the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, this podcast spotlights groundbreaking research in Santa Cruz, California, and shares actionable, positive environmental news from the region. Featuring in-depth conversations with scientists from UC Santa Cruz and beyond, along with local leaders and environmental experts, the show makes complex science accessible while highlighting real progress and tangible solutions protecting our unique coastal community.

Information

  • Creator
    Seymour Studios
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Seymour Studios

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