Researchers at UC Santa Barbara developed a new approach to design LEDs that can extract and direct photons with high efficiency. By using metasurface concepts, they were able to confine electrons and holes in gallium nitride nanorods, allowing more light to escape the semiconductor structure.
Researchers found that removing just the top 26 meters of a platform results in an average loss of only 10% of fish biomass, while completely removing it leads to a 95% reduction. Partial removal supports significantly more fish biomass than complete removal.
Novel feeds made from microalgae, insect protein and oils could partially substitute fishmeal and oil in aquaculture feeds without negative impacts on efficiency or omega-3 profiles. This study predicts future aquaculture production growth between 37-98% depending on consumer preferences.
A new study published in Environmental Research Letters reveals that a small percentage of industrial facilities are responsible for the majority of toxic pollution year after year. The researchers analyzed data from over 25,000 facilities across 322 manufacturing industries and found that only 1,116 can be characterized as 'super poll...
A team of anthropologists, physicians, and tribal leaders developed a strategy to manage COVID-19 among the Tsimane indigenous population in Bolivia. The plan aims to provide a general template for other indigenous groups, promoting collaboration and minimizing harm due to the pandemic.
A team of UC Santa Barbara researchers proposes a technique called SPARC to manipulate certain parameters in a mathematical gut microbiome model toward a target composition. This approach offers a systematic understanding of how environmental factors and species interactions can be controlled to achieve a stable gut microbiome.
Francis Macdonald and colleagues used thermochronology to track rock movement, finding evidence that supercontinent processes drove erosion between 1,000 and 720 million years ago
Researchers found that cool temperatures reduce the appeal of sweetness by activating other sensory cells via protein rhodopsin 6, which is typically associated with light detection. This suppresses communication between sweet-sensing taste neurons and the brain, leading to reduced feeding behavior in fruit flies.
Researchers found that a social marketing program, Fish Forever, increased community support for sustainable fishing practices. The program's customizable approach and community-led initiatives helped shift social norms and improve perception of management interventions.
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara find the skin's elasticity helps process tactile information, enabling efficient data compression. This discovery may lead to new prosthetic limb designs and improved tactile sensing for robots.
Researchers at University of California - Santa Barbara develop ultraviolet LEDs that can decontaminate surfaces, floors, and HVAC systems. The technology has the potential to sanitize personal protective equipment, medical settings, and public spaces without causing burns or eye damage.
A team of researchers from the University of California - Santa Barbara used big data and optimization algorithms to identify high-biodiversity hotspots in international waters. These areas could become the first generation of high seas marine protected areas, leveraging new global data assets and tools for conservation.
A team of scientists at UC Santa Barbara has discovered that multiple opsin proteins function as taste receptors, enabling the detection of subtle chemical signals. This finding raises questions about the original role of opsin proteins in ancient organisms and may extend to mammals, including humans.
A study published in Nature reveals that the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) plays a key role in the spread of pathological tau proteins between neurons. By inhibiting LRP1 expression, researchers were able to reduce tau spread in mice, offering new hope for potential treatments.
Forests are shifting towards communities that can cope with greater water stress, driven by the death of less hardy trees and the growth of more resilient ones. This adaptation may buffer forests against climate change effects in the short term.
The isoperimetric soft robot is a human-scale, pneumatic robot that can move without a tether and navigate unstructured environments. It achieves this by deforming its soft fabric tubes while maintaining its perimeter constant.
A team of researchers from UC Santa Barbara has developed a system using hyperspectral imaging and machine learning to detect methane leaks, achieving an 87% success rate. This method can differentiate between methane and other hydrocarbons, pinpointing the location of emissions.
Researchers discover cosmic impact evidence at Abu Hureyra archaeological site in northern Syria, dating back to the earliest human settlement. The impact is believed to have caused destruction and burning of the settlement nearly 12,800 years ago.
Researchers have uncovered neural mechanisms that govern complex motor sequences in fruit flies, revealing the importance of spatial comparisons in decision-making. The findings could lend insight into pathologies such as Parkinson's Disease and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.
Scientists investigate microorganisms in the twilight zone of the ocean and find they can degrade recalcitrant organic compounds. The study provides insight into the ocean's carbon cycle and may help predict microbes' role in regulating it.
A study by UC Santa Barbara researchers found that high levels of nitrogen pollution lower the temperature at which coral begins to bleach and increases its severity. The team surveyed over 10,000 corals around Moorea and found that both types of branching corals showed identical responses to nutrient pollution.
Marine biologists found that redundancy in urchin predators and protection afforded to them help keep sea urchin populations in check, particularly in protected areas. The study highlights an underappreciated benefit of marine reserves and offers a new perspective on strategies to manage ecosystems for resilience.
Scientists at UC Santa Barbara's Marine Science Institute found a correlation between the stability of giant kelp and understory seaweed and seafloor invertebrates, leading to higher biodiversity. The study suggests that robust kelp increases species diversity, promoting ecosystem stability.
The 2018 Four Corners drought in the US was exacerbated by human-induced warming, with temperatures rising 2 degrees Celsius. The region's vegetation turned brown due to increased evaporation, resulting in economic losses of over $3 billion and impacts on Native American communities.
Researchers at UCSB have developed an electrochemical method for extracting uranium from solution, using carboranes as a key component. This technology enables efficient and reliable capture and release of uranium ions, with potential applications in nuclear waste reprocessing and seawater uranium extraction.
Research finds that torrential rains are more severe after a hurricane has weakened to a tropical storm. This counterintuitive finding highlights the importance of considering weakening storms in disaster preparedness plans.
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have developed integrated pest management strategies to combat aquatic invasive species, such as quagga and zebra mussels, in California's waterways. The studies focus on using biological control methods, like sunfish, to target early life stages of these pests, reducing harm to people and the environment.
An international team of scientists analyzed 3 million species records from 200 ecological communities worldwide to reveal the impact of ocean warming on fish communities. The study found that subtle changes in species movement in response to rising temperatures made a significant impact on the global picture.
Scientists discovered that reflectin proteins control iridocytes, which contribute to changing visibility and appearance. The proteins fold up when phosphate groups are added, exposing sticky surfaces that allow them to clump together, creating an osmotic motor that responds to neuronal signals.
Researchers used 53 entangled qubits to solve a complex problem that would take 10,000 years on a classical supercomputer. The feat showcases the power of quantum computing and has significant implications for cryptography, machine learning, and materials science.
A University of California - Santa Barbara mechanical engineer's simple running hack uses a light resistance band to increase efficiency by approximately 6.4%. The device optimizes the work needed to swing legs, reducing energy required during each impact with the ground and allowing for shorter strides.
Researchers at UCSB have enabled identifying a person behind a wall using only WiFi transceivers outside, utilizing received power measurements of a WiFi link. The proposed approach achieves an accuracy of 84% in correctly identifying the person behind the wall, with potential applications in surveillance and security.
A new multidisciplinary study examines projected changes to the Santa Barbara coast and provides recommendations for adaptation. Key impacts include rising temperatures, increased flooding and erosion, and more frequent droughts.
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara and their international team have uncovered the mechanism behind doping organic semiconductors using Lewis acids. The discovery reveals that water plays a crucial role in this process, enabling scientists to design even better dopants for greater control over these materials.
New research suggests that societal complexity is linked to personality traits, with more complex societies exhibiting greater diversity of personality types. This is explained by the presence of multiple socioecological niches, which shape individual behavior and contribute to success or reinforcement within a given environment.
The study highlights significant gaps in knowledge about underassessed foods, which represent more than half of animal production and over 25% of total food globally. The researchers argue that a more complete global food assessment is necessary to develop sensitive and versatile local solutions to environmental and food security issues.
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara discovered a new material state with quantum disordered liquid-like magnetic moments in sodium ytterbium oxide. This finding confirms the existence of a long-sought 'quantum spin liquid state,' which is desirable due to its association with entanglement.
A study found that seaweed aquaculture has huge potential for carbon sequestration, with suitable area sufficient to render the entire global aquaculture industry carbon neutral. However, farming seaweed alone won't balance emissions from global food production due to cost and growth constraints.
A team of researchers has discovered a previously unrecognized mechanism that accelerates cystogenesis in polycystic kidney disease (PKD), leading to rapid cyst growth and kidney failure. The study suggests that increasing water intake and avoiding certain foods may slow the progression of ADPKD.
A new study finds that human impacts on oceans have nearly doubled over the past decade and could increase by another 50% if left unchecked. Climate change, commercial fishing, and land-based pollution are major drivers of these changes.
The urbanization of Southern California's beaches has led to a loss of biodiversity, with some beaches showing up to half of their natural inhabitants missing. The disturbance caused by grooming and filling with the wrong sand further exacerbates this issue, impacting the ecosystem health and coastal ecosystems.
A team of UC Santa Barbara researchers have discovered a new phase in block copolymers, expanding the range of possible options for material design. The newly found phase, known as A15, belongs to a class of tetrahedrally close-packed structures and has been observed in both metal and polymer materials.
A new study reveals Americans are drilling deeper than ever to access freshwater, but this trend is not a long-term solution to groundwater depletion. Deeper well drilling can be expensive and requires more energy, and it may not address the root cause of water scarcity.
Sodium-ion batteries have shorter lifetimes than lithium-based batteries due to the unintended presence of hydrogen. Hydrogen leads to degradation of the battery electrode. The study reveals that measures can be taken during fabrication and encapsulation to suppress incorporation of hydrogen, leading to better performance.
A new study by UC Santa Barbara Bren School professor Arturo Keller links reforestation to significant benefits in water quality. Reforestation of marginal croplands can reduce nutrient loading, biodiversity, and sediments in streams and rivers.
Researchers studied ocean's carbon cycle to improve climate models and predict future changes. They found the ocean absorbs CO2 slower in the 1990s but faster in the 2000s, influencing atmospheric accumulation rates.
Researchers have successfully created a graphene-based topological insulator, which enables the creation of low-dissipation ballistic electrical circuits. This breakthrough builds upon previous work and overcomes challenges related to spin-orbit coupling, a key component necessary for topological insulators.
A groundbreaking study quantifies the impact of lobbying on climate policy enactment, finding that firms expecting losses benefited from lobbying efforts and reduced the bill's chances by 13 percentage points.
Marine scientists investigate the relationship between bumphead parrotfish and their coral reef habitat using molecular analysis, finding that coral rock contains more calories than live coral. The study sheds light on the complex dynamics of coral reef ecology and the role of bumphead parrotfish in shaping their environment.
Researchers aim to refine understanding of how carbon moves in the ocean by studying lesser-known mechanisms such as particle injection pumps. These processes, including vertical migration and subduction, are thought to sequester significant amounts of carbon, rivaling the biological gravitational pump.