KZYX The Ecology Hour

Ecosystem Monitoring in the Gulf of Alaska

Our guest, Dr. Mayumi Arimitsu of Ocean Bight LLC, is leading research on the pelagic (offshore) components of the food web, and also monitors forage fish that are the ke

Marine Toxicology

Interview with Dr.  Christina Pasparakis, Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Toxicology at the University of California Davis, Bodega Marine Laborator

Ravens

Re-run of an interview in 2022 with Dr. John Marzluff, who studies how humans affect birds through habitat fragmentation and increased urbanization, as well as the challe

Fog and Mercury Transport

Our guest, Dr. Peter Weiss-Penzias is a Faculty Researcher and Continuing Lecturer at the University of California, Santa Cruz and runs an Environmental Chemistry Laborat

Fungus and Rain

Dr. Konrad Meister, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Boise State University, tells us about his research discovering that fungal spores and other tiny particles cause

Lizards!

Fantastic interview with Dr. Emily Taylor, Professor of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University and Director of the Physiological Ecology of Reptiles

Biomechanics

Interview with Dr. Víctor M. Ortega Jiménez, Assistant Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. He conducts research into the ways in w

Invasion Biology

Interview with Dr. Mark Davis, emeritus Professor of Biology at Macalester University and author of the textbook on "Invasion Biology."

Sea Otters

Sea Otters were once abundant from the Aleutian Islands to central California, before being hunted nearly to extinction. Dr. James Bodkin of the US Fish & Wildlife Servic

Moths

We talk with Dr. Marc Epstein, Senior Insect Biosystematist at the California Department of Food and Agriculture for Lepidoptera, about moths and their taxonomy. Dr. Epst

Viruses and viral diseases

The Ecology Hour goes viral this week when hosts Bob Spies and Tim Bray talk with Dr. Tony Goldberg, veterinarian and pathobiologist at the University of Madison-Wisconsi

Mountain Lions

Mountain Lions are a frequent topic of conversation in Mendocino County, and there is often concern about them preying on livestock or pets. We talk with Dr. Quinton Mart

Biological pest control

Our guest is Dr. Mark Hoddle, Distinguished Professor of Extension in Biological Control at the University of California - Riverside, a renowned expert in the field of bi

Seastar Wasting Disease

 Eleven years ago, a mysterious disease killed most of the adult starfish off California and Oregon. The most severely affected, Sunflower Seastar, was the main predator

Gray Whale mortality

Gray Whales were once nearly wiped out by commercial whaling. Once that ceased in the late 20th century, they staged a remarkable comeback, reaching a population of aroun

Intraterrestrials - Alien Life on Earth

Just when you think you've got life all figured out... scientists find something that redefines the whole concept.  Ecology Hour hosts Bob Spies and Tim Bray talk with Dr

Midway Island Albatrosses

Have you ever seen an Albatross? They are an awe-inspiring sight and there are hundreds of them off the Mendocino coast right now. Many of them are coming here to get foo

Oil Spills: Long-term Biochemical effects

We hear a lot about the immediate effects of a major oil spill, but what happens later? Our guest Dr. Jeffrey Short is a biochemist who has investigated ecosystem effects

Elk in NorCal

Tim Bray and Bob Spies talk with Erin Zulliger of the Institute for Wildlife Studies, who has been studying Elk in northern California. Always an impressive sight, these

SONAR at Mendocino HS

Robert Jamgochian and Doug Nunn talk about the SONAR program (School of Natural Resources) they created and ran at Mendocino High School for several years. Students learn