Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A version of this video with audio description track is available here:
youtube.com/watch?v=xcjgEdRJMOU
Archaeology can help communities understand environmental change, protect cultural heritage, and prepare for an uncertain climate future. Isabel C. Rivera-Collazo, Ph.D., of UC San Diego studies relationships among people, oceans, coastal ecosystems, and climate in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. She explains how Hurricane Maria shifted her research from identifying theoretical vulnerabilities to supporting communities facing immediate risks. Her work combines archaeology with ecology, biology, geology, local histories, and community knowledge. Research on plants, fishing traditions, coral reefs, and coastal sites has supported sand dune restoration, heritage protection, and the creation of a marine protected area. Rivera-Collazo emphasizes that residents are experts on their own landscapes and should guide research priorities. Recovering knowledge from the past can strengthen identity, support ecosystem restoration, and help communities shape more resilient futures. [8/2026] [Show ID: 41490]
0:00 Isabel Rivera-Collazo’s Path Into Archaeology
1:37 Why She Brought Caribbean Research to UC San Diego
5:13 How Archaeology Connects People, Oceans, and Climate
7:15 How Hurricane Maria Changed Her Research
9:57 Why Community Knowledge Matters
11:27 How Archaeology Supports Coastal Restoration
20:03 Teaching Students to Rethink Science
22:13 Advice for Students Entering Archaeology
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uctv.tv/donate
More videos from: Mi Camino: Latinx/Chicanx Speaker Series
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Explore More Science & Technology on UCTV
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Science and technology continue to change our lives. University of California scientists are tackling the important questions like climate change, evolution, oceanography, neuroscience and the potential of stem cells.
UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California -- teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
(https://www.uctv.tv)
FAQ
Q: How can archaeology help communities prepare for climate change?
A: Archaeology reveals how people adapted to environmental changes in the past and how ecosystems and cultural practices developed over time. When combined with local knowledge, this research can support heritage protection, coastal restoration, and decisions about climate adaptation.
Q: How did Hurricane Maria change Rivera-Collazo’s research?
A: Before Hurricane Maria, much of her work on climate vulnerability was theoretical. The storm showed how political, economic, and environmental risks could combine, leading her to focus more directly on community priorities, disaster resilience, and practical applications of archaeological research.
Q: Why is community knowledge important in archaeology?
A: Archaeological sites are part of the heritage of living communities, not detached objects from the past. Rivera-Collazo emphasizes that residents understand their own landscapes and should help guide research, challenge assumptions, and determine how knowledge is used.
A version of this video with audio description track is available here:
youtube.com/watch?v=xcjgEdRJMOU
Archaeology can help communities understand environmental change, protect cultural heritage, and prepare for an uncertain climate future. Isabel C. Rivera-Collazo, Ph.D., of UC San Diego studies relationships among people, oceans, coastal ecosystems, and climate in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. She explains how Hurricane Maria shifted her research from identifying theoretical vulnerabilities to supporting communities facing immediate risks. Her work combines archaeology with ecology, biology, geology, local histories, and community knowledge. Research on plants, fishing traditions, coral reefs, and coastal sites has supported sand dune restoration, heritage protection, and the creation of a marine protected area. Rivera-Collazo emphasizes that residents are experts on their own landscapes and should guide research priorities. Recovering knowledge from the past can strengthen identity, support ecosystem restoration, and help communities shape more resilient futures. [8/2026] [Show ID: 41490]
0:00 Isabel Rivera-Collazo’s Path Into Archaeology
1:37 Why She Brought Caribbean Research to UC San Diego
5:13 How Archaeology Connects People, Oceans, and Climate
7:15 How Hurricane Maria Changed Her Research
9:57 Why Community Knowledge Matters
11:27 How Archaeology Supports Coastal Restoration
20:03 Teaching Students to Rethink Science
22:13 Advice for Students Entering Archaeology
Donate to UCTV to support informative & inspiring programming:
uctv.tv/donate
More videos from: Mi Camino: Latinx/Chicanx Speaker Series
(uctv.tv/education/mi-camino-english)
More from: Education Channel
(uctv.tv/education)
Explore More Science & Technology on UCTV
(uctv.tv/science)
Science and technology continue to change our lives. University of California scientists are tackling the important questions like climate change, evolution, oceanography, neuroscience and the potential of stem cells.
UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California -- teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world.
(https://www.uctv.tv)
FAQ
Q: How can archaeology help communities prepare for climate change?
A: Archaeology reveals how people adapted to environmental changes in the past and how ecosystems and cultural practices developed over time. When combined with local knowledge, this research can support heritage protection, coastal restoration, and decisions about climate adaptation.
Q: How did Hurricane Maria change Rivera-Collazo’s research?
A: Before Hurricane Maria, much of her work on climate vulnerability was theoretical. The storm showed how political, economic, and environmental risks could combine, leading her to focus more directly on community priorities, disaster resilience, and practical applications of archaeological research.
Q: Why is community knowledge important in archaeology?
A: Archaeological sites are part of the heritage of living communities, not detached objects from the past. Rivera-Collazo emphasizes that residents understand their own landscapes and should help guide research, challenge assumptions, and determine how knowledge is used.
