For more than a century, the Golden State’s curiosity, risk-taking, and scientific imagination have made it a cradle of Nobel breakthroughs.

Why California’s most northern town is a magnet for deadly tsunamis.

How We Overstate the Length of the Blue Whale, Earth’s Largest Creature

In the 1960s, as America raced to the Moon, the Navy sent aquanauts to the ocean floor off La Jolla in an ambitious experiment called SEALAB II.

Miles of pristine hills and valleys along California’s Central Coast have long been off-limits to the public to shield the state’s last remaining nuclear power plant. But not for much longer.

In the 1960s, as America raced to the Moon, the Navy sent aquanauts to the ocean floor off La Jolla in an ambitious experiment called SEALAB II.

Miles of pristine hills and valleys along California’s Central Coast have long been off-limits to the public to shield the state’s last remaining nuclear power plant. But not for much longer.

At Caltech, Clair Patterson's relentless determination to understand the health impacts of atmospheric lead changed the world for the better.

California has officially run out of the 1980s-era license plate sequence. Here's what the new one will be.

At The Huntington, one of the world’s great succulent collections reveals how plants from some of Earth’s harshest climates evolved to survive, even as many species face threats from plant theft.

The Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve, better known as the Back Bay, remains one of Southern California’s most important refuges for birds traveling the Pacific Flyway.

A billionaire businessman was accused of stealing sand from Malibu's Broad Beach. Now, he's donating a slice of beachfront to the public under a proposed settlement.

During a recent expedition to study seamounts offshore of Central California, MBARI scientists and NOAA collaborators encountered the rarely seen deep-sea bigfin squid (Magnapinna sp.). This exciting ...

Perhaps the most astonishing discovery at Davidson Seamount occurred in 2018, when scientists discovered the “Octopus Garden,” the largest known aggregation of octopuses in the world. The garden is ab...

Watch now | How greed, fraud and staggering waste led to the destruction of 8,000 giant sequoias in one of America’s worst environmental crimes.

A new study from the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego finds that improved weather and water forecasts could help California g...

Hidden at Occidental College, the Cosman Collection holds nearly 117,000 shells, possible undiscovered species, preserved DNA, and some of nature’s deadliest venom.

From coast to desert to forest, these books capture the beauty, complexity, and changing spirit of California.

Perhaps the most astonishing discovery at Davidson Seamount occurred in 2018, when scientists discovered the “Octopus Garden,” the largest known aggregation of octopuses in the world. The garden is ab...

How California’s network of marine protected areas is beginning to pay off, assuming we don’t mess things up.

How We Overstate the Length of the Blue Whale, Earth’s Largest Creature

By combining field recordings with direct observation of songbirds, Julie Elie was able to map the hidden meanings behind everyday bird chatter.

At least a half-dozen federal agencies have taken action against the state that has led the nation in environmental protections.

Hidden at Occidental College, the Cosman Collection holds nearly 117,000 shells, possible undiscovered species, preserved DNA, and some of nature’s deadliest venom.

Many articles and references about blue whales will tell you, blue whales can reach lengths of up to 100 feet long or more. But not a single blue whale has ever been scientifically verified as being 1...

Hidden at Occidental College, the Cosman Collection holds nearly 117,000 shells, possible undiscovered species, preserved DNA, and some of nature’s deadliest venom.

Five days, 45 miles, 7,000 feet of climbing elevation, and a welcome escape from the noise of everyday life.

An 18.6-year lunar cycle is expected to amplify tides just as rising seas push more of California’s coastline toward flooding thresholds.

How geologists read millions of years of history in California's highway roadcuts.

Seal Beach has the perfect conditions for Stingrays to feed, breed and sting unsuspecting swimmers.

A Recent Documentary Made Me Furious. Then It Gave Me Hope.

Five days, 45 miles, 7,000 feet of climbing elevation, and a welcome escape from the noise of everyday life.

The Blythe Intaglios—have long puzzled anthropologists and captivated the imagination of those who visit them or view them from the sky.

A strengthening El Niño could bring the highest sea levels ever recorded to the California coast this year, raising the risk of widespread and damaging flooding.

How local fishermen transformed Cabo Pulmo into one of the world's greatest marine conservation success stories.

At The Huntington, one of the world’s great succulent collections reveals how plants from some of Earth’s harshest climates evolved to survive, even as many species face threats from plant theft.

A first-of-its-kind study looks at how sharks react to the sounds of surfing, swimming and kayaking — and whether certain beach activities attract their attention more than others.

How geologists read millions of years of history in California's highway roadcuts.

California’s coast redwoods and giant sequoias are the tallest and most massive trees on Earth. Here’s the science behind why they grow so enormous — and why they only grow here.