Point Conception Institute Newsletters
February 22, 2023
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Last updated February 26, 2024
Winter 2025 PCI Newsletter
At PCI, we’re building more than a research station—we’re shaping a model for what protected areas can be in the 21st century. From the windswept ridgelines of the Dangermond Preserve to the sensor networks and satellite-linked systems we’re deploying across its 24,000 acres, PCI is redefining how science, technology, and conservation intersect.
Winter 2025 PCI Newsletter
TNC scientists review a map at Dangermond Preserve.
© Aliya Rubinstein/TNC
Past PCI Newsletters
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Winter 2024
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Winter 2022/Spring 2023
Collaboration, Open Science, and Technology for Conservation Impact
Coast live oak at the JLDP
Coast live oak (Q. agrifolia) at the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve.
© Erin Feinblatt/TNC
PCI Publications
- Nielsen, Erica S., et al. “The Effects of Latitudinal Gradients, Climatic Anomalies, and Size-Selective Harvesting on the Adaptive Potential of an Intertidal Gastropod”, Evolutionary Applications, vol. 18, 2025, p. e7015.
- Markman, Bruce, et al. “Evaluating UAV LiDAR and Field Spectroscopy for Estimating Residual Dry Matter Across Conservation Grazing Lands.” Remote Sensing, 2025.
- Chadwick, K.D., K. Easterday, M.D. Reynolds…et al. 2024. “Unlocking Ecological Insights from Sub‐seasonal Visible‐to‐shortwave Infrared Imaging Spectroscopy: The SHIFT Campaign.” Ecosphere, vol. 16, no. 3, 2025, p. e70194.
- Khodaee, M., Easterday, K. and Klausmeyer, K. (2024). Integrating hydrological parameters in wildfire risk assessment: A machine learning approach for mapping wildfire probability. Environmental Research Letters.
- Easterday, K., and M. D. Reynolds. 2024. A Digital Twin of the Dangermond Preserve fosters open science. ArcNews Fall 2024.
- Nielsen, Erica S., et al. “Pushed Waves, Trailing Edges, and Extreme Events: Eco‐evolutionary Dynamics of a Geographic Range Shift in the Owl Limpet, Lottia Gigantea.” Global Change Biology, vol. 30, no. 7, 2024, p. e17414.
- Genua, Lucy, et al. “Spatial patterns of vegetation change in a fire-suppressed coastal California landscape.” Madroño, vol. 70, no. 4, May 2024.
- Gleason, M.G., Reynolds, M.D., Heady, W., Easterday, K. and Morrison, S.A. 2023. The Importance of Identifying and Protecting Coastal Wildness. Frontiers in Conservation Science, 4, p.1224618.
- Rohde, M.M., M. Reynolds, K. Easterday. 2023. Falling through the cracks: Pathways for conserving California’s coastal ecosystems. The Nature Conservancy. San Francisco, California. (.pdf)
- Wright, Dawn, and Kelly Easterday. “Environmental Digital Twins and Earth Stewardship.” Esri, 20 Apr. 2023
PCI Partner Publications
- Araki, Ryoko, et al. “Nonlinear Soil Moisture Loss Function Reveals Vegetation Responses to Water Availability.” Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 52, no. 11, June 2025, p. e2024GL111403.
- Angel, Yoseline, et al. “Deciphering the Spectra of Flowers to Map Landscape‐scale Blooming Dynamics.” Ecosphere, vol. 16, no. 2, 2025, p. e70127.
- McEvoy, Susan L, et al. “The Reference Genome of an Endangered Asteraceae, Deinandra Increscens Subsp. Villosa , Endemic to the Central Coast of California.” G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics, edited by P Morrell, vol. 14, no. 8, Aug. 2024, p. jkae117.
- Galaz García, Carmen, et al. “Mapping Invasive Iceplant Extent in Southern Coastal California Using High-Resolution Aerial Imagery.” Ecological Informatics, vol. 81, 2024, p. 102559.
- Marraffini, M.L., Hamilton, S.L., Jarrin, M., Ladd, M., Koval, G., Madden, J.R., Mangino, I., Parker, L.M., Emery, K.A., Terhaar, K., Hubbard, D.M., Miller, R.J. and Dugan, J.E. (2024). Evaluating the influence of marine protected areas on surf zone fish. Conservation Biology.
- Jasechko, S., Seybold, H., Perrone, D., Fan, Y., Shamsudduha, M., Taylor, R.G., Fallatah, O., Kirchner, J.W., Rapid groundwater decline and some case of recovery in aquifers globally. Nature 625, 715–721 (2024).
- Zilz, Z.L., Copeland, S. and Young, H.S., 2023. Consistent foraging on marine resources by coyotes (Canis latrans) on the Southern California coast. Food Webs, 37, p.e00311.
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Media
See recent articles and media from projects with the Point Conception Insitute and the Dangermond Preserve
Media
Moses Katkowski shows a handful of coast live oak acorns.
© Erin Feinblatt/TNC
Media: Dangermond Preserve & PCI
- New Dangermond Preserve and PCI website
- LA Times: Environmentalists turning rugged stretch of California Coast into a lab for conservation
- KCLU: The Tri-Counties hidden gem: It's a nearly 25,000 acre nature preserve in Santa Barbara County
- KCLU: It's poop to us, but Santa Barbara County researchers say it's a feast of info about carnivores
- SB Independent: Western Monarch Count
MEDIA: Land
- TNC Newsroom: Santa Barbara Prescribed Fire Training Exchange
- CNPS: How CNPS is wroking with partners to map millions of acres of vegetation in California - a vital tool in a long-term conservation effort within the state.
- KTLA: NASA takes to the skies for "first-of-a-kind" study of California wildflower blooms
- SB Independent: Bioblitz Reveals Hidden Biodiversity in the Santa Barbara Channel
Media: Department of Defense REPI (Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration) Conservation Easement on Dangermond Preserve
- Santa Barbara Independent: Historic $15 Million Deal Safeguards Dangermond Preserve from Development
- Santa Maria Sun: Dangermond Preserve now permanently protected
- Edhat: Vandenberg Partners with Nonprofits to Ensure Conservation of Southern California’s Last Wild Coast
- KCLU: Deal insures a 24,000 acre Central Coast nature preserve is permanently protected from development
Research
NASA, UCSB, PCI Project SHIFT
9/13/22-9/14/22 Project SHIFT Science Meeting at NCEAS with NASA, UCSB, and PCI.
© Ginger Gillquist/NCEAS
Ongoing Research
Take a look at this dashboard to get to know the projects and people currently conducting research at the Dangermond Preserve.
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PCI and La Kretz Joint Science Symposium 2025
Coast to Crest: Connecting Science, Partnership, and Practice
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