Science Moab

Science Moab is a weekly half-hour program exploring current research going on within the Colorado Plateau and beyond. The show includes interviews with scientists about the fascinating research they are conducting in our area. Host and producer Kristina Young explores basic ideas behind various scientific topics, the kinds of research that scientists do to answer their questions, and how current research can help us understand our changing world. Science topics span ecology, geology, chemistry, archaeology, hydrology, and any other -ology that might come our way. Kristina also explores the human side of science by asking researchers why they chose to pursue science careers and what they most enjoy about the work they do.

Join us every Friday at 11:30 am for Science Moab or listen later on SoundCloud, iTunes, & Stitcher

Science Moab Podcasts on KZMU are underwritten by Canyonlands Natural History Association.

You can follow Science Moab on instagram and facebook to stay up-to-date with the science in Moab. Funding is provided in part by the BYU Charles Redd Center for Western Studies

The Miracle of Lichen

October 21, 2025

A lichen is a colony of algae or cyanobacteria living interactively with fungus and bacteria in a mutual or symbiotic relationship, but for Steve Leavitt, a lichen is a hotspot of diversity and an indicator of ecological health. Steve is in charge of one of the largest lichen collections in...

Eureka at Cisco

October 7, 2025

Brian Davis, an associate professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, loves looking for small fossils. His research focuses on early mammals, particularly teeth, jaws, and skull parts. Brian’s most recent discovery is a mammal fossil quarry in Cisco, Utah, part of the Morrison Formation dating back to...

Dieback Dynamics

September 16, 2025

Across the Colorado Plateau, pinyon-juniper ecosystems are facing more and more stress due to increasing heat and aridity. Today we talk with Seth Munson, a plant and ecosystem ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona. Seth’s research focuses on how dryland ecosystems respond to...

Utah’s Chinle Formation: Understanding Life in the Triassic

September 2, 2025

Randy Irmis, a paleontologist and curator at the Natural History Museum of Utah, discusses his research on the Chinle Formation, (Triassic, ~201 to 230 million years ago) located in southern Utah. The Chinle Formation is characterized by river and stream deposits in a semi-arid environment, and is rich in fossils...

Underneath the Rivers: Stewardship of Utah’s Sovereign Lands

August 5, 2025

Tony Mancuso is the Sovereign Lands Program Manager for the Green and Colorado Rivers at Utah’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR). His management efforts focus on maintaining the health and navigability of waterways under state jurisdiction, including removing invasive species and restoring natural habitats. Tony talks about specific projects like...

Creating Water Resiliency on the Navajo Nation

July 1, 2025

Ryan Barton emphasizes the importance of collaboration and negotiation in solving water issues and bringing resilient water systems to the Navajo Nation. As a hydrologist working for the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources, Ryan has been involved in projects for over a decade including hydrographic surveys, lake capacity studies,...

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