Tuesday April 28, 2026
UC Davis —
Conducting environmental science in a time of rapid climate change can be like a game of Whac-a-Mole. Just as you get close, the focus moves, burns, melts or disappears.
Sometimes the culprit is a natural disaster: Wildfire burns a study site. Disease infects a coral reef. A global pandemic stops a field season, or two. Other times, the problem is human-centered: Equipment gets lost or destroyed. The government shuts down. Once reliable funding is suddenly, inexplicably taken away.
Meanwhile, climate change is moving faster than the speed of science. The past 11 years globally were the 11 warmest on record.
Despite these disasters, some scientists have managed to pivot their research to reveal meaningful lessons about our changing world. Here, we share their stories while exploring emerging concerns and consequences of stop-and-go science.