USC Sea Grant receives nearly $2 million from NOAA for novel technology to turn marine debris into laundry detergent and sustainable dyes for the fashion industry
USC Ph.D. students Shayna Kohl (left) and Anvi Surapaneni (right), both from the lab of Professor Travis Williams, carry a discarded tire on Santa Catalina Island, where trash from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch often washes up. Photo credit: Vanessa Codilla

The University of Southern California Sea Grant Program was awarded nearly $2 million to develop a disruptive and sustainable method for upcycling ocean-bound plastic waste across Southern California waterways.

During Green Week, USC celebrates sustainability successes
Staff members Chelsea Graham, Sam Schongalla and Michael Wallich plant a tree in Founders Park for Arbor Day last year. (Photo/Gus Ruelas)

A host of changes are underway to make the university more sustainable. USC celebrates its fourth annual Green Week as September begins.

What is ‘blue carbon’? Inside USC’s research on carbon capture in Upper Newport Bay
The wetlands of the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve support populations of shorebirds, waterfowl, native plants, and rare and endangered species. (Painting/Nina Raffio)

Coastal wetlands — threatened by rising seas — are nature’s powerhouses for capturing and storing carbon. USC researchers are studying how to protect these essential ecosystems.

Keeping native bees buzzing requires rethinking pest control
Wild bees play a crucial ecological and agricultural role, but pesticide use is making sightings of wild species increasingly rare. (Composite: Rhiannon Montelius. Image sources: Wikimedia Commons; Unsplash.)

New research adds solid evidence to the suspicion that steep declines in America’s wild bee populations stem in large part from pesticide use. Saving the crucial pollinators requires new approaches to managing pesky insects, say USC Dornsife researchers.

‘Mercury bomb’ threatens millions as Arctic temperatures rise
A 2022 drone image of the Yukon River and its floodplain downstream from Beaver, Alaska, shows accumulations of sediments, which harbor the toxic metal mercury. (Photo: Michael P. Lamb.)

With Arctic permafrost melting at a record pace, vast stores of toxic mercury put the food chain — and communities that depend on it — in grave danger. USC Dornsife scientists find a better way to assess the hazard.

Making Los Angeles More Resilient Through Inclusive Planning
A reimagined Los Angeles skyline with greenery and water features.

By designing projects to achieve multiple goals, the funding could deliver better outcomes for Angelenos.

Revitalizing the Los Angeles River Through Community Design & Innovative Tools
The Los Angeles River with rushing water and greenery.

Climate change is straining the ability of our aging infrastructure to withstand the impacts of floods, wildfires, heat waves, and hurricanes.

Climate Change in Unscripted Television
Cover of the July 2024 issue of Climate Unscripted.

Building upon our research on climate change issues in scripted film/TV, this study looks at the prevalence of sustainability and climate-related topics in unscripted television.

Contemporary Architecture and the Natural Environment
Professor Yo-ichiro Hakomori.

Prof. Yo-ichiro Hakomori’s latest projects include the renovation of the Berkshire Museum and a sustainable residence in the Yucca Valley.

USC Dornsife Public Exchange and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) work together to advance use of nature-based solutions to tackle climate change
A stylized representation of the Earth with continents highlighted in shades of green and beige. Surrounding the globe are abstract leaves and organic shapes.

At USC’s Capital Campus in Washington, D.C., policymakers, researchers and practitioners from across the country explored how nature can be used to address increasingly frequent climate-associated risks, such as floods, heatwaves and fires.