UC TSR&TP

Coastal Toxicology Component

This program ended in June 2006.

The Coastal Toxicology Component facilitates research and training that foster a greater understanding of the causes and consequences of dynamics within and among coastal marine ecosystems. An explicit focus involves the application of innovative but basic research to help resolve coastal environmental issues. The Coastal Component is based at UC Santa Barbara, but also includes many researchers and students from UC Santa Cruz, UC San Diego, UC Los Angeles, UC Berkeley and UC Davis.

Self Description
The overall objective of the Coastal Toxicology Component is to help resolve pollution-related environmental problems in California's aquatic ecosystems. This primarily is accomplished by facilitating faculty research on appropriate issues, and by providing students with research support and training opportunities in environmental toxicology. Therefore, the underlying aims are to seek basic scientific advances, and to provide training in the application of science to environmental issues. Benefits arise from the generation of scientific information useful to resource and regulatory agencies, and from the training of young scientists to better address California's future environmental problems. The primary focus of the Coastal component remains on the ecological consequences of pollutants, a focus which is motivated by the awareness that coastal marine and freshwater environments are not immune from adverse effects from pollutants. While maintenance of the ecological integrity of aquatic ecosystems is of great concern, the ecological risks posed by pollutants are not well known. Understanding more about the fate and ecological effects of chemicals introduced into aquatic ecosystems is fundamental to ensuring that these vital environments and their beneficial uses are not jeopardized. A more recent emphasis of the Coastal component is the complement to analyses of ecological impacts - that is, the remediation or mitigation of effects.

Self Description

The overall objective of the Coastal Toxicology Component is to help resolve pollution-related environmental problems in California's aquatic ecosystems. This primarily is accomplished by facilitating faculty research on appropriate issues, and by providing students with research support and training opportunities in environmental toxicology. Therefore, the underlying aims are to seek basic scientific advances, and to provide training in the application of science to environmental issues. Benefits arise from the generation of scientific information useful to resource and regulatory agencies, and from the training of young scientists to better address California's future environmental problems.

The primary focus of the Coastal component remains on the ecological consequences of pollutants, a focus which is motivated by the awareness that coastal marine and freshwater environments are not immune from adverse effects from pollutants. While maintenance of the ecological integrity of aquatic ecosystems is of great concern, the ecological risks posed by pollutants are not well known. Understanding more about the fate and ecological effects of chemicals introduced into aquatic ecosystems is fundamental to ensuring that these vital environments and their beneficial uses are not jeopardized. A more recent emphasis of the Coastal component is the complement to analyses of ecological impacts - that is, the remediation or mitigation of effects.

Coastal Toxicology Links

Coastal Toxicology Home Page

Contact Information

For questions about this component of UC TSR&TP, please contact:

Russell Schmitt, Director

For administrative concerns, please contact:

Russell Schmitt, Director

Bonnie Williamson