Scripps Institution of Oceanography

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) is the center for oceanography and earth science at the University of California, San Diego. Its main campus is in La Jolla, with other buildings in Point Loma.

It was started in 1903 and became part of the University of California in 1912. Since then, it has studied many parts of Earth, including its physics, chemistry, geology, biology, and climate. The institution works to learn more about our planet and its oceans.

Every year, it gives out the Nierenberg Prize to scientists who have done important work that helps people understand the Earth better. This shows how the Scripps Institution of Oceanography helps us learn about our world and its environment.

History

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography started with a biologist named William Ritter from Wisconsin. In 1891, he began teaching at the University of California, Berkeley. He later married Mary Bennett. Ritter and Mary moved to San Diego for their studies, where Ritter met Fred Baker. Baker encouraged him to build a marine laboratory there.

Ritter looked for many years for the best place to build. In 1903, he met newspaper magnate E. W. Scripps. Together with Scripps’ half-sister Ellen Browning Scripps and Baker, they formed the Marine Biological Association of San Diego. They used Scripps’ yacht, the Loma, as their first research ship. In 1905, they moved to a small lab in La Jolla Cove and later bought land there. Their first permanent building was finished in 1910.

In 1912, the Marine Biological Association joined the University of California and changed its name to the Scripps Institution for Biological Research. Over time, it grew to study many areas of Earth science, including physics, chemistry, geology, biology, and climate.

Wartime

When World War II began, Scripps formed a research group to help the US Navy. This group studied sound and waves, which helped the Navy learn about the deep scattering layer—a region filled with tiny sea creatures. They also worked on predicting ocean conditions for military landings.

The Golden Age of Oceanography

After the war, Scripps got many ships and funding, leading to a “Golden Age” of discoveries. New ships like the Crest and Paolina-T joined the research fleet. Divers began using special breathing equipment called Aqua-Lung, starting the Scripps Diving Program. In 1951, a new aquarium-museum was built to replace an older one.

In 1960, Scripps helped create the University of California, San Diego. During the 1960s, Scripps developed new tools to map the oceans, like the Deep-Tow system.

International projects and modern history

In 1982, the Old Scripps Building was named a National Historic Landmark. In 1998, a new building was designed for the institution. In 2014, Scripps tested using biofuels on one of its ships, showing that research could use cleaner fuel. In 2019, Scripps received funding for a new research vessel.

In 2024, Scripps joined a task force to study pollution from the Tijuana River, which affects health in the area.

2023 graduate protests

In May 2023, a new building opened on campus. Later that month, it was damaged during a protest about graduate student wages. Some students were arrested, but the case has not moved forward yet.

Campus

Main campus

The main campus of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography is in La Jolla, between La Jolla Shores and Black's Beach. You can get to the campus using MTS line 30, which comes every 15 minutes, or a special bus that only goes to the campus, coming every 10 minutes. The buses also go to other parts of San Diego.

Three special places on the campus — the Seaside Forum, the Martin Johnson House, and Birch Aquarium — are open to everyone to visit or rent.

Biological Grade

Biological Grade is a street that runs north to south next to La Jolla Shores Drive. It connects many labs, libraries, and places for research. It was built a long time ago, between 1910 and 1912, and was once part of a big road between San Diego and Los Angeles. Now, cars use La Jolla Shores Drive, but Biological Grade is still important. It links to another street by a special pedestrian bridge called Scripps Crossing, made in 1993.

There is a walking path called the Scripps Coastal Meander that starts here and leads to Black's Beach.

Pawka Green and Naga Way

South of Biological Grade is a green space named Pawka Green, after a person named Steven Pawka. Next to it is a street called Naga Way, named after an old trip to study seas far away. This area has more offices and classrooms.

Shellback Way

Shellback Way is a street on the east side of La Jolla Shores Drive. It links many buildings and labs that study weather and fish. It connects to Biological Grade by the same pedestrian bridge mentioned before. The name comes from an old trip to study the ocean near Peru.

Downwind Way

Downwind Way connects La Jolla Shores Drive to another street, giving access to the rest of the university. Here you can find storage areas, a special aquarium, and a deep-sea drilling place. It is named after an old trip during an important science event that happened from 1957 to 1958.

Campus flora and fauna

The main campus is next to a special area where plants and animals are protected, and also near a place called Torrey Pines. You can see many plants there, like lemonade berry and wild cucumber. Birds like seagulls and pelicans are often seen, and sometimes peregrine falcons make their nests.

Marine life

In the shallow water from La Jolla Shores to Black's Beach, you can see many sea creatures just by looking or snorkeling, like small sharks and colorful fish. Because there are many stingrays, people learned to shuffle their steps in the water to avoid getting stung.

Scripps Canyon, connected to La Jolla Canyon, is a favorite place for divers and scientists. You can see many kinds of fish there.

Nimitz Marine Facility

The Nimitz Marine Facility is where all the research boats are kept, and you can get there by land in Point Loma. Buses stop nearby often, going to other places in San Diego. The facility is close to a navy base, and sometimes you need a special card to visit the waterfront. The buildings at the facility are numbered from the water going towards the street.

Research programs

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography studies many parts of the oceans and land. They look at biology, physics, chemistry, geology, and more. They also study how the oceans affect the climate and the environment. Scripps offers degrees for students to learn about these topics.

Today, Scripps has around 1,300 staff members, including teachers, scientists, and students. They have a budget of over $281 million and use a fleet of four special ships for their research at sea.

Research themes

Scripps works on many important topics together, such as:

• Climate change and how to prepare for it
• Staying safe from natural dangers
• How the oceans affect our health
• Creating new technology
• Studying the polar regions
• Protecting plants and animals
• Keeping our country safe

CalCOFI program

Main article: CalCOFI

The CalCOFI program started in 1949. It is a teamwork effort between Scripps, NOAA Fisheries, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. They study fish populations and the ocean environment near Southern California. They collect data during regular trips at sea, which helps them understand changes over many years.

The Keeling Curve

Main article: Keeling Curve

The Keeling Curve tracks the amount of carbon dioxide in the air over time. It started in 1958 and was led by Charles David Keeling. Scripps set up a research spot in Mauna Loa, Hawaii to measure carbon dioxide levels. Since then, Scripps has added more places and ways to study how the climate is changing.

Argo program

Main article: Argo program

The Argo program is an international project to measure ocean temperature, salt levels, and currents. It began in the late 1990s. Scripps helped create special floating tools for this work and is part of many related projects. They also keep the data from Argo on a special map for the world to use.

Oceanographic collections

Scripps has many collections of ocean plants and animals, starting from samples collected in 1902. These collections grow when new samples are added, like from UCLA in 2014. They also have rocks, deep-sea samples, and tiny fossils. These collections help teach students and share information with the public at the Birch Aquarium.

Organizational structure

Scripps Oceanography has three main research sections. These are Biology, Earth, and Oceans & Atmosphere. Each section has its own focus areas.

The current director is Meenakshi Wadhwa, who began her role on October 1, 2025.

Research vessels

Scripps owns and operates several research vessels and platforms:

• RV Roger Revelle
• RV Sally Ride
• RV Robert Gordon Sproul
• RV Bob and Betty Beyster

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

Hybrid Hydrogen Research Vessel

In 2021, Scripps got $35 million to make a new research boat to replace the RV Robert Gordon Sproul. This boat has been used since 1984. The new boat will be 125 feet long and will take 3 years to build. It will be the first hybrid-hydrogen research boat in the UNOLS group and will help the University of California's plan to use less pollution. Scripps picked Seattle-based designer Glosten to make the boat, because they have made many other boats for Scripps. The new boat will use hydrogen power for most of its work.

Birch Aquarium

Main article: Birch Aquarium

Birch Aquarium is a fun place to learn about the ocean. It has many tanks with fishes and sea creatures from around the world. You can see fishes from cold waters near the Pacific Northwest and warm waters near Mexico. There is a big tank with local sharks and rays, and you can touch sea animals in tide pools. In 2022, the aquarium added a new exhibit for blue penguins.

Notable faculty members (past and present)

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography has had many important scientists and teachers. Well-known names include Farooq Azam, George Backus, and Roger Revelle. These people have helped us learn more about the oceans and Earth sciences through their research and teaching. Many others have also helped with this important work.

Notable alumni

Many important scientists have studied at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Some of these include Tanya Atwater, Kim Cobb, Megan McArthur, Jessica Meir, and Walter Munk. These scientists have helped us learn more about the ocean and Earth science.

Awards by SIO

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography gives out awards to honor great scientific work. These awards celebrate important achievements in studying the ocean and Earth sciences.

Popular culture

In 2014, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and its work on measuring carbon dioxide in the air were part of a story in an episode of the TV show The Newsroom.

The institution is often used as a place or idea in books, sometimes with its name changed or made up for the story.