Research at UCSB Reserves spans a wide range of disciplines including ecology, geography, geology, astronomy, archaeology, anthropology, history, and the arts. The Reserves provide excellent sites for short and long-term studies that are protected from human disturbance. Examples of critical areas of ongoing research include effects of climate change on the flora and fauna in natural communities; the spread and effects of diseases on native animal populations such as seastars, frogs and sea otters; and the conservation, restoration and management of natural resources and landscapes.