Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Last updated
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Scripps Institution of Oceanography logo.png
Former names
Marine Biological Association of San Diego
Scripps Institution for Biological Research [1]
TypePublic
Established1903
Parent institution
University of California San Diego
DirectorMargaret Leinen [2]
Academic staff
415 [3]
Administrative staff
800 [3]
Postgraduates 350 [3]
Location, ,
US

32°51′56″N117°15′13″W / 32.865437°N 117.253626°W / 32.865437; -117.253626
Website scripps.ucsd.edu
A view of Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2011, taken from the Birch Aquarium. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 2011.JPG
A view of Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2011, taken from the Birch Aquarium.
Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier SIOpier.jpg
Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography is the center for oceanography and Earth science based at the University of California, San Diego in La Jolla, California.

Contents

Originally founded in 1903, since becoming part of the University of California system in 1912, the institution has expanded its scope to include studies of the physics, chemistry, geology, biology, and climate of Earth.

History

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography was founded in 1903 as the Marine Biological Association of San Diego, an independent biological research laboratory. It was proposed and incorporated by a committee of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, led by local activist and amateur malacologist Fred Baker, together with two colleagues. He recruited University of California Zoology professor William Emerson Ritter to head up the proposed marine biology institution, and obtained financial support from local philanthropists E. W. Scripps and Ellen Browning Scripps. They fully funded the institution for its first decade. It began institutional life in the boathouse of the Hotel del Coronado located on San Diego Bay. It re-located in 1905 to the La Jolla area on the head above La Jolla Cove, and finally in 1907 to its present location. [4]

In 1912 Scripps became incorporated into the University of California and was renamed the "Scripps Institution for Biological Research." [1] Since 1916, measurements have been taken daily at its pier. [5] The name was changed to Scripps Institution of Oceanography in October 1925. [1] During the 1960s, led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography director Roger Revelle, it formed the nucleus for the creation of the University of California, San Diego on a bluff overlooking Scripps Institution.

The Old Scripps Building, designed by Irving Gill, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1982. [6] [7] Architect Barton Myers designed the current Scripps Building for the Institution of Oceanography in 1998.

In 2007, the family and wife of late Roger Revelle donated 2.5 million dollars toward the Roger Revelle Chair endowed position, [8] which Shang-Ping Xie now holds.

Research programs

Scripps Institution of Oceanography researchers at sea SIOresearch.jpg
Scripps Institution of Oceanography researchers at sea

The institution's research programs encompass biological, physical, chemical, geological, and geophysical studies of the oceans and land. Scripps also studies the interaction of the oceans with both the atmospheric climate and environmental concerns on terra firma. Related to this research, Scripps offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. [9]

Today, the Scripps staff of 1,300 includes approximately 235 faculty, 180 other scientists and some 350 graduate students, with an annual budget of more than $281 million. [10] The institution operates a fleet of four oceanographic research vessels. [11]

The Integrated Research Themes [12] encompassing the work done by Scripps researchers are Biodiversity and Conservation, California Environment, Earth and Planetary Chemistry, Earth Through Space and Time, Energy and the Environment, Environment and Human Health, Global Change, Global Environmental Monitoring, Hazards, Ice and Climate, Instruments and Innovation, Interfaces, Marine Life, Modeling Theory and Computing, Sound and Light and the Sea, and Waves and Circulation.

Organizational structure

Margaret Leinen took office as the Director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences, and Dean of the Graduate School of Marine Sciences on October 1, 2013. [2]

Scripps Oceanography is divided into three research sections, each with its own subdivisions: [13]

California Sea Grant

On October 25, 1973, California Sea Grant became a college (National Sea Grant College Program) administered by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. [14] [15]

Research vessels

Scripps research vessel Roger Revelle SIOrevelle.jpg
Scripps research vessel Roger Revelle

Scripps owns and operates several research vessels and platforms: [16]

Current and previous vessels larger than 50 ft (15 m)

Birch Aquarium at Scripps

Birch Aquarium at Scripps, with the Village of La Jolla in the background Aq facility rental.jpg
Birch Aquarium at Scripps, with the Village of La Jolla in the background

Birch Aquarium at Scripps, the public exploration center for the institution, features a Hall of Fishes with more than 60 tanks of Pacific fishes and invertebrates from the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest to the tropical waters of Mexico and the IndoPacific, a 13,000-gallon local shark and ray exhibit, interactive tide pools, and interactive science exhibits. [17]

Notable faculty members (past and present)

Notable alumni

In 2014, the institution and its Keeling Curve measurement of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were featured as a plot point in an episode of HBO's The Newsroom. [20] In 2008, Scripps Institution of Oceanography was the subject of a category on the TV game show Jeopardy! . [21] Scripps has been a story element in numerous fictional works. [22]

2023 grad student low-wage protest

In June 2023, two graduate students and one recent graduate were arrested at their homes by University of California Police and held in custody overnight. [23] They face two felony charges of criminal vandalism and criminal conspiracy related to a May 30 protest where the accused allegedly protested low graduate student wages by writing chalk messages on a newly opened building. The University alleges $12,000 in damages related to this incident. [24] Union leadership in UAW 2865 and 5810, the local union chapters representing the arrested workers, accuse the University of California of retaliation [25] and reneging on the contracts signed at the conclusion of the 2022 UC academic workers' strike. [26] On July 10, 2023, hundreds of protesters gathered at San Diego's Central Courthouse to protest the arrests, however in a written statement the San Diego District Attorney's office said the arraignment would not move forward because the case had not been submitted to its office for review. [27] [28] However, university officials have up to three years to file charges and on July 18, 2023 UCPD obtained a warrant and searched a fourth student's house for evidence of chalk or union affiliation in relation to the May 30 incident. [29]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of California, San Diego</span> Public research university in San Diego, California

The University of California, San Diego is a public land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego is the southernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California, and offers over 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, enrolling 33,096 undergraduate and 9,872 graduate students. The university occupies 2,178 acres (881 ha) near the coast of the Pacific Ocean, with the main campus resting on approximately 1,152 acres (466 ha).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Jolla</span> Neighborhood in San Diego, California, United States

La Jolla is a hilly, seaside community within San Diego, occupying 7 miles (11 km) of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revelle College</span> First college at UC San Diego

Revelle College is the oldest residential college at the University of California, San Diego in La Jolla, California. Founded in 1964, it is named after oceanographer and UC San Diego founder Roger Revelle. UC San Diego—along with Revelle College—was founded at the height of the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union. As a result, the initial class of 181 undergraduates comprised only 30 non-science majors. Revelle College focuses on developing "a well-rounded student who is intellectually skilled and prepared for competition in a complex world."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Revelle</span> American scientist (1909–1991)

Roger Randall Dougan Revelle was a scientist and scholar who was instrumental in the formative years of the University of California, San Diego and was among the early scientists to study anthropogenic global warming, as well as the movement of Earth's tectonic plates. UC San Diego's first college is named Revelle College in his honor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of California, San Diego School of Medicine</span> Medical school of UC San Diego

The University of California, San Diego School of Medicine is the graduate medical school of the University of California, San Diego, a public land-grant research university in La Jolla, California. It was the third medical school in the University of California system, after those established at UCSF and UCLA, and is the only medical school in the San Diego metropolitan area. It is closely affiliated with the medical centers that are part of UC San Diego Health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geisel Library</span> Iconic Library at the University of California, San Diego

Geisel Library is the main library building of the University of California, San Diego. It is named in honor of Audrey and Theodor Seuss Geisel. Theodor is better known as children's author Dr. Seuss. The building's distinctive architecture, described as occupying "a fascinating nexus between brutalism and futurism", has resulted in its being featured in the UC San Diego logo and becoming the most recognizable building on campus.

RV <i>Roger Revelle</i>

R/V Roger Revelle is a Thomas G. Thompson-class oceanographic research ship operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography under charter agreement with Office of Naval Research as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet. The ship is named after Roger Randall Dougan Revelle, who was essential to the incorporation of Scripps into the University of California San Diego.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birch Aquarium</span> Aquarium in San Diego, California

Birch Aquarium is an aquarium and the public outreach center for Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Birch Aquarium has an annual attendance of more than 439,000, including more than 40,000 school children, and features more than 3,000 animals representing 380 species. The hilltop site provides views of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus and the Pacific Ocean. The mission of the aquarium reads: "As the public outreach center for Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, Birch Aquarium features the groundbreaking work of Scripps Oceanography and UC San Diego scientists through innovative exhibits and events. More than just an aquarium, Birch Aquarium offers hands-on learning opportunities and climate-based programming to 40,000-plus K-12 students each year on site, in schools and in the field.".

USS <i>Snatch</i>

USS Snatch (ARS-27), well known as Scripps RV Argo after conversion to scientific research, was a Diver-class rescue and salvage ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy during World War II and in service from 11 December 1944 through 23 December 1946. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels. The ship is better known from her scientific research role as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) research vessel RV Argo. It is that name, apparently not formally recognized by Navy that maintained title to the vessel, found in the scientific literature and public releases about her wide ranging research voyages.

Edward David Goldberg was a marine chemist, known for his studies of pollution in the oceans.

Lynne Talley is a physical oceanographer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography known for her research into the large-scale circulation of water masses in the global ocean.

Seibert Quimby Duntley was an American physicist. He was born in Bushnell, Illinois on October 2, 1911.

The Roger Revelle Prize is a prize given out by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to people who have made outstanding contributions that advance or promote scientific research in fields such as oceanography, climatology and other planetary sciences. This prize is named for Roger Revelle, a scientist who served as director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and was instrumental in the founding of the University of California, San Diego. He was an important oceanographer and a pioneer in climate change research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolfgang H. Berger</span> American paleontologist

Wolfgang "Wolf" Helmut Berger was a German-American oceanographer, geologist, micropaleontologist and emeritus professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. His research interests comprise "micropaleontology, marine sedimentation, ocean productivity, carbon cycle, ocean history, climate history, and history of oceanography."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scripps Coastal Reserve</span> Protected area of San Diego County, California

Scripps Coastal Reserve is a 126-acre University of California Natural Reserve System reserve located west of UC San Diego in the La Jolla Farms area of La Jolla, California. Administered by UC San Diego, the site is owned by the University of California and managed for teaching and research.

Safdie Rabines Architects is an American architecture, interiors and urban design firm based in San Diego, California. The firm works in public and private sectors on projects of varying contexts and scales, including municipal; academic; bridges and infrastructure; single and multifamily/mixed-use residential; and large urban master plans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George G. Shor</span> American geophysicist

George G. Shor Jr. was an American marine geophysicist. His entire career was at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. He began his career working with the Mohole Project, an ambitious project that attempted to drill to the Mohorovičić discontinuity from deep-ocean regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Noble Shor</span> American historian

Elizabeth Noble Shor was an American historian and scientist. Her entire career was at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (Scripps) in La Jolla, California.

Jennifer Ann Mackinnon is an American physical oceanographer who has studied small-scale dynamical processes in oceans for more than 20 years. These processes include internal waves and ocean mixing, turbulence, sub-mesoscale instabilities, and their complex interaction. She is a professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Her research requires extensive fieldwork at sea to observe these processes.

Shang-Ping Xie is a climatology and oceanography researcher who holds the Roger Revelle Chair at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Known best for his research on interaction between the world's oceans and atmosphere and on El Niño–Southern Oscillation, Xie is noted as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Scripps history.
  2. 1 2 "Director's Biography". 2022-01-01.
  3. 1 2 3 "About Scripps Oceanography". Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  4. Shragge, Abraham J.; Dietze, Kay (Spring 2003). "Character, Vision, and Creativity: The Extraordinary Confluence of Forces that Gave Rise to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography". Journal of San Diego History. 49 (2).
  5. Graff, Amy (15 August 2018). "81-degree reading likely sets record for highest temperature ever measured in California waters". SFGate. San Francisco. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  6. "Old Scripps Building". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service . Retrieved 2008-07-10.
  7. James H. Charleton (February 12, 1982). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Scripps, George H., Memorial Marine Biological Laboratory / Old Scripps Building" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-06-22.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) and Accompanying 10 or so photos, exterior and interior, from 1977, 1980, and undated  (2.83 MB)
  8. Clark, Cindy (2007-05-22). "Revelle Family Endows UC San Diego Chair Honoring Roger Revelle, World-Renowned Oceanographer & Leader in Climate Change Research | Scripps Institution of Oceanography". scripps.ucsd.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  9. "Education". scripps.ucsd.edu. Scripps Institution of Oceanography. 2013-03-07. Retrieved 2016-05-31.
  10. "Mission and Quick Facts | Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego". scripps.ucsd.edu. Retrieved 2017-01-20.
  11. "Ships". scripps.ucsd.edu. Scripps Institution of Oceanography. 2013-01-17. Retrieved 2016-05-31.
  12. "Integrated Research Themes". Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
  13. "Research Sections". 2013-05-16.
  14. "California". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  15. "History". California Sea Grant . Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  16. SIO Timeline, from SIO Archives, UCSD online collection. Shor, E., Scripps in the 1950s: A Decade of Bluewater Oceanography, Journal of San Diego History, v29:4, 1983. Shor, E., SIO: Probing the oceans 1936–1976, Tofua Press, San Diego, 1978.
  17. "BIRCH AQUARIUM AT SCRIPPS: PRESS ROOM".
  18. "Klaus Hasselmann". Max Planck Institute for Meteorology . Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  19. J. Baylor Roberts, "An Artist Fashions Replicas of Strange Sea Dwellers" a photograph accompanying "La Jolla, a Gem of the California Coast" National Geographic (December 1952).
  20. "We Fact Checked Aaron Sorkin's Climate Science on "The Newsroom"". Mother Jones.
  21. "What is... A Night in the Spotlight?". 2013-11-20.
  22. "Scripps Institution of Oceanography". EScholarship.
  23. https://www.kpbs.org/staff/mg-perez (2023-07-01). "UC San Diego student workers arrested after allegations of conspiracy and vandalism". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved 2023-07-26.{{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)
  24. "UC San Diego Statement via University Communications". today.ucsd.edu. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  25. "The University of California Is Escalating Its Crackdown on Dissent". In These Times. 2023-07-04. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  26. Lucas, Peter (2023-07-11). "California Grad Students Won a Historic Strike. UC San Diego Is Striking Back With Misconduct Allegations and Arrests". The Intercept. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  27. Sridhar • •, Priya (2023-07-10). "UC San Diego students, alum accused of felony for 'chalking' slogans on campus". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  28. https://www.kpbs.org/staff/city-news-service (2023-07-11). "Crowd gathers at downtown SD courthouse in protest of UCSD student worker arrests". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved 2023-07-26.{{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)
  29. "https://twitter.com/uaw2865/status/1681761772448133120?s=20". Twitter. Retrieved 2023-07-26.{{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)

Further reading