Oceanography (Video)

Ever wonder what lives in the deepest parts of the ocean? Curious how many species of fish swim under the waves? Collections like those at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) are a way for everyone to engage and understand the world underwater. Greg Rouse, curator of the Benthic Invertebrate Collection at SIO, shares how collections can effectively communicate with the public and make sc...

Scripps Institution of Oceanography marine biologist Stuart Sandin illuminates his work leading the 100 Island Challenge, a project that uses high tech ecological surveys to capture snapshots of coral reef ecosystems found in the tropical waters of the Pacific, Caribbean, and Indian oceans. His team uses large-area imaging and 3-D visualizations to make unprecedented detailed observations of how c...

Coastal regions are susceptible to a host of threats to the natural environment and our quality of life as a result of climate change. Our beaches and coastal bluffs are being eroded by ocean storms and sea level rise, ongoing drought leaves us vulnerable to wildfires and habitat and wildlife loss, and our dependence on water from distant sources puts us at risk for severe water restrictions. Alth...

The ocean is a critical component of climate solutions. Not only does the ocean have the potential to provide food security, but it can provide critical minerals for the energy transition, species with biopharmaceutical and biotechnology potential, a source of income through sustainable tourism, and innovation of renewable power technologies. Samantha Murray, Executive Director of the Marine Biodi...

Join Birch Aquarium’s Senior Director of Animal Care, Science and Conservation, Jenn Moffatt, for a first-hand account of how their new exhibit went from concept to reality. Get an inside look at the Little Blues’ journey, from the arrival of the birds from Australia, to a time lapse record of the construction of the penguin habitat over the last 9 months. Learn how the Birch husbandry team cares...

Plastic is everywhere. There are 17 trillion tons of the stuff on the planet. While plastic is convenient and cheap, it can take hundreds of years to decompose. Michael Burkart, Ph. D., professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UC San Diego, works on inventing new types of renewable, biodegradable plastic made from algae, including the world's first algae surfboard as well as flip flops and sneak...

Amazing new technologies in developmental biology and genetics research are allowing scientists to begin to answer long standing questions such as – how does a single fertilized egg cell transform into a complex animal? Why does the embryo of a marine organism like a sea slug develop differently from that of a sea urchin? Join Scripps Developmental Biologist Deirdre Lyons as she describes how she...

The Pacific footballfish is a large but rarely encountered deep-sea anglerfish known from only 31 specimens recovered worldwide. Strangely, over the course of last year (2021), three footballfish were found washed up on beaches in San Diego and Orange Counties. Scripps scientists aren't quite sure why these rare creatures are suddenly showing up on our beaches, but were lucky enough to collect, pr...

The ocean is enormous, indeed so large that for centuries we assumed that there was nothing we could do to substantially harm it. Unfortunately, we now know that this is not true. We are having success on some fronts, such as saving species from extinction, protecting ocean waters, fishing more sustainably, and restoring damaged ecosystems by replanting critical species and reducing pollution. Eve...

The ocean provides a bounty of essential life-supporting services. Yet, a changing climate and increasing human uses are altering marine ecosystems and their ability to continue to provide this wealth of essential services. Off the coast of California, we are lucky to have one of the worlds longest-running marine observation programs, the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (Ca...