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UCSB ecologist Benjamin Halpern co-authors a new study that underscores the need for better data to facilitate effective biodiversity conservation
By Julie Cohen
Thursday, April 21, 2016 - 11:00
Santa Barbara, CA

To prevent a new mass extinction of the world’s animal and plant life, scientists need to understand threats to biodiversity, where they occur and how quickly change is happening. To do that, they need reliable and accessible data.

This Venn diagram shows the different criteria used to evaluate each dataset and their overlaps. The sweet spot — the middle area — shows the 14 datasets that meet all criteria. - See more at: http://www.news.ucsb.edu/2016/016714/heading-mass-extinction#sthash.tWn1vvON.dpuf

Before she went, Soto-Balderas said, she had been unsure exactly how she would apply her love of math and science to a professional career. But after a week of classroom, field and lab-based activities focused on applied conservation science and research, she was sold.

“I wasn’t thinking about conservation at all before this program,” said Soto-Balderas, who added a minor in spatial studies so she could learn programming and help scientists model species’ migratory patterns and population fluctuations. “Now, I’m hoping to get good enough in analysis so that I can use those skills to contribute to conservation.”

• See more at: http://www.news.ucsb.edu/2016/016733/mentorship-and-motivation#sthash.sM4JLVDH.dpuf