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.
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
30 Sept 2026
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
23 Sept 2026
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 (https://cruzaware.genasys.com/portal/en) and learn more about Measure Q funding at Measure Q Funding Distribution (https://www.santacruzcountyca.gov/MeasureQ/Funding.aspx)!
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
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Contact Science, Solutions, Santa Cruz
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
