Research

A newly published study in Current Biology is reframing a fundamental question in plant evolution: What made trees possible?

As communities around the globe celebrate World Otter Day on May 27, Cal Poly Humboldt graduate students, now alumni, helped expand scientific understanding of North American river otters and the coastal wetland ecosystems they call home through four research projects.

For nearly three decades, Cal Poly Humboldt Wildlife Professor Jeff Black and citizen scientists have been quietly documenting the lives of one of the North Coast’s most charismatic residents: river otters.

Continued funding from California Trout (CalTrout) is advancing research to identify climate-resilient habitats in one of Northern California’s most important watersheds, the Eel River.

Cal Poly Humboldt will come alive with innovation, creativity, and discovery during the 13th annual ideaFest on Friday, May 1, as hundreds of students, faculty, and staff showcase the projects they’re most proud of.

A $1 million grant from the Campbell Foundation is funding a first-of-its-kind study aimed at helping cannabis farmers reduce costs, lower environmental impacts, and produce cleaner, more sustainable products.

Cal Poly Humboldt has received a landmark $3 million commitment from the Campbell Foundation to establish the University’s first fully funded endowed professorship. The Campbell Foundation has specifically designated the funds for the Cannabis Studies program. 

The third annual Cannabis & Environmental Stewardship Symposium will bring together experts throughout California to Cal Poly Humboldt on Friday, April 17, to explore equitable and environmentally responsible practices in California’s cannabis market—the nation’s largest, valued at more than $5 billion.

An international team of scientists has discovered a previously unknown species of semi-aquatic rodent living in the cloud forests of Peru.

In response to accelerating climate change and increasing human impacts on California’s landscapes, Cal Poly Humboldt and the U.S. Geological Survey California Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit are leading a major expansion of a statewide biodiversity monitoring effort.

Wildfires and power outages caused by vegetation near powerlines have contributed to some of the state’s most destructive fires.

Most shark fossils are just teeth—their cartilage skeletons usually decay long before they can fossilize.

Cal Poly Humboldt faculty and students are partnering with local organizations to conduct a comprehensive Economic Development Study designed to help guide McKinleyville’s future growth and community well-being.

A new global study suggests that cannabis legalization is narrowing long-standing gender gaps in the cannabis industry. 

Cal Poly Humboldt study in partnership with Save the Redwoods League reveals how second-growth forests respond to modern wildfires and what managers can do to protect them.

A new report from the Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt examines the entwined history of energy development and timber production in Humboldt County—and looks at how transmission system expansion for offshore wind could empower greater energy access on the North Coast.

Since 2011, Cal Poly Humboldt secured more than $1 billion in external funding, advancing breakthroughs in gene therapy, clean energy, climate science, community health, the arts, and student success programs while providing students hands-on opportunities to shape the future. 

At 4:30 a.m., before the first rays of sun reach the waters surrounding the Galápagos Islands, trillions of phytoplankton drift in the dark, waiting for the light of dawn to trigger photosynthesis—the process that releases oxygen and energy into the ocean and the marine food web.

During an expedition to the Peruvian Andes in 2018, a team of researchers exploring Abiseo River National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, made an extraordinary discovery: a previously undocumented species of marsupial.

Cal Poly Humboldt’s publication, Humboldt Magazine, is entering a new era. The Fall 2025 edition marks the magazine’s first fully digital release, offering readers an immersive experience with expanded photo galleries, behind-the-scenes video, and interactive storytelling.

In a muddy ditch draining into Baduwa’t (Mad River), a flicker of silver darted beneath the surface. 

Cal Poly Humboldt is taking a leading role in advancing global research infrastructure, leveraging its unique position on California’s North Coast to connect researchers across the Pacific Rim. 

This summer, students from across the U.S. gathered to collect sediment samples from marsh sites along the northern margin of Humboldt Bay.

The overall inflation rate of 4.4% in Eureka and surrounding cities from 2024 to 2025 was slightly down from last year’s rate of 4.5%, according to student-led research by Cal Poly Humboldt released in May. 

On the world’s largest river island, a new research project is uncovering a long-overlooked story of biodiversity and evolution.