Recent ccber items

California Stream Bioassessment Procedure of Phelps Creek, Tributary to Devereux Slough

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The California Stream Bioassessment Procedure is a standardized procedure used to measure the health of wadeable rivers. It helps identify point and non-point source pollutants based on physical, chemical, and biological properties, such as depth, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and benthic communities. In 2017, a restoration project began on the Devereux Slough in Goleta, Santa Barbara. This project reverted the upper arms of the estuary and its tributaries from their previous use as a golf course back into a natural slough. While the estuary itself has been more heavily monitored, the health of its tributaries has not been equally studied. Therefore, a bioassessment can indicate not only the health of these tributaries, in this case, Phelps Creek, but also the potential impacts on the downstream slough. The preliminary results illustrate that the river's health is marginal. The main sources of concern are the slow flow, high salinity, and lack of benthic diversity.

This...

Trophic Interactions Between Birds and Aquatic Prey at North Campus Open Space

Tue, 9 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Understanding trophic interactions helps reveal how energy and nutrients move through ecosystems and provides insight into the ecological effects of habitat restoration. This study examined potential feeding relationships between birds and aquatic prey at North Campus Open Space (NCOS), a restored wetland. I constructed two trophic networks representing bird interactions with aquatic prey: one for aquatic invertebrates and one for aquatic vertebrates. I based these networks on bird and prey species recorded in monitoring datasets at NCOS and compiled trophic links through a literature review of documented avian diets. Highly connected prey groups included Chironomidae (midges) and small fish, suggesting that these two prey groups may function as key shared resources for birds at NCOS. Although these networks represent potential rather than directly observed interactions, they provide insight into the structure of avian-aquatic food webs and support future restoration efforts...

Trophic Interactions Between Birds and Aquatic Prey at North Campus Open Space

Tue, 2 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Change in Avian Biodiversity after Restoration of North Campus Open Space

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The restoration of the estuary and surrounding upland habitats of UCSB’s North Campus Open Space (NCOS) successfully reintroduced tidal flow and many plant communities to the site, facilitating faunal recovery. As in many other restoration projects, monitoring data has been collected and reported but lacks comprehensive analysis. Here, I leveraged eight years of monthly bird survey data to study how bird assemblages have changed, with a focus on the most consistently detected avian species. Moreover, to understand bird population trends and community composition shifts, I used Bayesian General Linear Mixed Models and Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling, respectively. The changes in these metrics provide insight into the effect of the NCOS restoration, evaluating its positive or negative results for individual species and their ecological functions.

This poster was presented at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Poster Colloquium on May 13, 2026.

Monitoring Invasion of the New Zealand Mudsnail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) in North Campus Open Space

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The New Zealand mudsnail (NZMS, Potamopyrgus antipodarum) is a globally widespread aquatic invader tolerant of diverse environmental conditions. Since detection in the Snake River, ID, NZMS has spread to numerous watersheds across the western United States. eDNA sampling in 2022 detected the species in North Campus Open Space (NCOS), a coastal estuary under restoration in Goleta, CA; presence was later verified through hand sampling. This study examines local population dynamics to assess invasion status and spread within NCOS. I used data from quarterly benthic sweep-net sampling and water-quality measurements to assess species distribution and density across sites. NZMS occurred across a wide range of water-quality conditions. Spatial patterns suggest entry via freshwater inlets, with dense populations at Phelps Creek and sparse or absent populations elsewhere. Continued monitoring is needed to evaluate ecological impacts of NZMS invasion in NCOS.

This poster...

Systematics of California’s critically endangered Nipomo lupine (Lupinus nipomensis)

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Lupinus nipomensis, the Nipomo lupine, is an endangered plant species faced with an alarming vulnerability to extinction from invasive species, habitat fragmentation, and variable abiotic factors. In Munz's 1963, The California Flora, Nipomo lupine was determined to be a divergent population of Bajada lupine (Lupinus concinnus), creating uncertainty about the species resolution to the present day, despite documented differences in habitat, geographic distribution, and morphology. Furthermore, the taxonomic ambiguity surrounding Nipomo lupine has hindered conservation efforts. Here, we provide phylogenetic evidence to demonstrate that Lupinus nipomensis is a clearly circumscribed species and separate lineage from other clades, particularly Lupinus concinnus.

Presented at the 2026 URCA Week Poster Colloquium, a platform for students from various disciplines to present their research findings and creative projects to the university...

UCSB Restoration Register - September 2025