Monica Palta

Retaining this account but switching to primarily using monicapalta.bsky.social. See you there!

Did you miss @WaterUCI’s first Speaking of Water Colloquium Series event of 2025? You can now watch @MonicaMPalta's full talk about nature-based solutions to urban water challenges on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=GrPWLh… @WaterUCIrvine

UPDATE: Water utilities have been working hard to investigate damage and restore water service since the #wildfires in the #LosAngeles area. I was contacted by impacted water utilities and spoke with the California State drinking water agency. I encourage everyone to consider kindness and compassion for the water utility workers who are working night and day to help their communities recover. As of now, I do not know what specific chemicals the state is telling utilities to test for, how testing is being conducted, or what the test results show, for any water system. ------------------------ As water testing results are collected, it is important to compare them against what the world knows about fire and drinking water contamination. Below is the list of chemicals that have been found in prior fire-contaminated drinking water systems. This was developed based on input and experiences from wildfire impacted utilities in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, and New Mexico. Bolded, red chemicals exceeded a short- or long-term drinking water exposure limit. ------------------------ Benzene only drinking water testing would place communities at risk. Last year California enacted a law that required "benzene" testing of public drinking water after wildfires (AB 541 calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_20232…). According to the law, water utilities are not required to look for any other chemical. So, if other fire-related chemicals were present and posed a risk, they wouldn't know unless they did more than what the state required at a minimum. After prior fires, sometimes chemicals that were found exceeded short-term drinking water exposure limits when benzene was not present. Other tips.... No one should claim testing for [insert random number] of chemicals in drinking water as appropriate. The number of chemicals you test for is irrelevant unless specificity is provided. You must screen for specific fire-related chemicals to know if a health risk does or does not exist. More info here engineering.purdue.edu/PlumbingSafety

The #LAFires triggered unsafe drinking water notices in Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, & Altadena. 📊 53.3M Americans live in fire zones, with 60% of drinking water at risk. Swipe to learn more from the #WECRCaucus➡️

Urban water quality, health & justice specialist @MonicaMPalta of @ucanr discusses and analyzes nature-based solutions for urban water challenges as part of @WaterUCI's Speaking of Water series at 2 p.m. Wed., Jan. 22, via Zoom. RSVP with QR code or click tinyurl.com/MPwaterUCI

The first @WaterUCIrvine 'Speaking of Water' series speaker of 2025 is @MonicaMPalta, the first @UCANR Cooperative Extension specialist to be based at @UCIrvine. Her talk on urban water challenges begins at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, via Zoom. tinyurl.com/WaterUCImp

@JorgeRH2O @calacademy @Stanford @stanfordjrbp Congratulations!! So proud of you :)

Honored to be inducted today as a 2024 @CalAcademy Fellow with this group of amazing peers! As the ED of @Stanford @stanfordjrbp, I always enjoy collaborating w/ @calacademy in science & educational efforts to contribute to the understanding of Earth's natural systems! Gracias!

Here is a great #PostDoc @UofMaryland If you are a woman and/or a minority PhD in #urban #environments, ecology, #resilience, & sustainability esp. linked to #environmental #justice, President's Postdoc Fellowship Program is taking applications Let's Talk! faculty.umd.edu/presidentspost…

Fascinating panel discussion and thought-provoking artwork at What's On Tap: LA's Water Story...Source to Spigot at El Tranquilo Gallery today! Thank you @edithbdeguzman for inviting me, and for co-curating such a cool exhibit!

Water is a critical California issue. We’re thrilled to have @MonicaMPalta join the @ucanr water experts 🎉

I am thrilled to be joining the @ucanr team as the first UC CE Specialist @ucirvine! I will be conducting applied academic research and community engagement around water quality, health, and justice in Southern California and can't wait to get started! @UCIEngineering @UciUrban

Interested in modelling #N2O and #peatlands? Come work as postdoc with our #Landscape #Biogeochemistry and #Ecotechnology Group @unitartu, Estonia! More details on the call and @PeatlandN2O project peatlandn2o.ut.ee

Looking for a PhD program and interested in dryland vegetation spatial patterns and their responses to climate change? I am now accepting PhD applications at @ucdavis! @yu___zhang #CarrieHavrilla #RachataMuneepeerakul and #YufangJin on @NSF project: xdong05.github.io/vacancies

Congratulations @JorgeRH2O! So well deserved - proud of you mijo ❤️

The SCUBA DIVERsity Fellowship program at Scripps is accepting applications for the Fall 2023 cohort.🤿 This program is designed to create a more inclusive and supportive diving community. Meet the first cohort of fellows and learn more in this thread ⤵️ scripps.ucsd.edu/news/scripps-l…

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Tom Meixner. Our hearts go out to @HAS_UArizona , Tom's family, and everyone in the Hydrology community. In honor of Tom, we will be postponing River Cup today and instead ask you share photos and memories of Tom here. Rest in peace, Tom.

Following Sackett v EPA oral arguments today. #Wetlands protect water quality downstream, store floodwaters and provide so many other ecosystem services. While the legal arguments are confusing, the science is clear.

@JorgeRH2O @ESA_org @NSF @stanfordjrbp @ESA_SEEDS @EstienCesar @brandoyster_ @lmariecology @HallOfNature Great work and excellent poster!

Super poster session #ESA2022 @ESA_org w/ friends!! Our @NSF #RCN SOAR participants Sebastian & Michelle showed up, my 2022 @stanfordjrbp TA Jamie, my 2004 @ESA_SEEDS mentor Joel Abraham w/ @EstienCesar @brandoyster_ @lmariecology & forever friend & mentor @HallOfNature!

I'm thrilled to share a new article by a fantastic team about how freshwater salinization impacts not only the ecology, but also the biogeochemistry, of wetlands, especially understudied urban wetlands: aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lo…