Category: Scripps Institution of Oceanography

  • California Seaweed

    Kelp cutters once harvested tons of the nearshore kelp off the San Diego County coastline, producing additives for your ice cream, beer and pharmaceuticals. And of course, anyone who has had a California Roll or a bowl of miso soup is familiar with the centuries-old use of Nori. But now Scripps researchers are working to…

  • Eavesdropping on Whales

    Since ancient seafarers first heard the strange calls of whales, humans have been fascinated by their meaning – from Flipper’s clicks and trills to the long serenades of Humpbacks. Inhabiting the dark ocean depths, whales use sound in many different ways – from feeding to navigating to finding friends and family. Join postdoctoral scholar Goldie…

  • Lakes Beneath Antarctic Ice: Deep, Dark and Mysterious

    Where is one of the last places on earth you would expect to find a never-before known lake? Certainly, any of earth’s best-known deserts…the Sahara, Gobi, or Kalahari right? Technically fitting the definition of a desert by standards of precipitation, Antarctica could also be on that well-known list of dry places. But Antarctica has been…

  • What Happened When Modern Humans Met Neanderthals?

    In short, they interbred, according to Svante Pääbo, a Swedish biologist and pioneer of paleogenetics, the study of preserved genetic material from the remains of ancient organisms, including ancient human DNA. He has served as director of the Department of Evolutionary Genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, since 1997.…

  • Adapting to Climate Change

    As humankind faces massive changes in weather patterns, sea level, ocean acidity, and oxygen levels, Scripps Oceanography has launched a new center focused on understanding and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Mark Merrifield, director of the new center explains how the members of this dynamic network will develop strategies for climate change adaptation.…

  • NASA and International Cooperation

    The 12th NASA Administrator, Charles F. Bolden Jr., shares how NASA’s programs and missions function as an instrument of international cooperation, demonstrating the steady guidance of the United States as the world’s leader. Watch NASA International Cooperation – An Instrument of US Soft Power with Charles Bolden – 2017 Nierenberg Prize Lecture

  • Baja’s Wild Side

    Many people envision Baja California as a land of glittering bars, cruise ship crowds, and esplanades full of souvenirs of Ensenada or Cabo San Lucas. In reality, Baja California is a vast, mostly uninhabited expanse of remote undeveloped lands with unique flora, untouched wildlife, and prehistoric cultural treasures. Within just a long day’s drive of…

  • Mangroves: The Skin of Our Coasts

    Mangroves, trees that form forests in the transition between land and sea, provide a habitat for a great diversity of plants and animals worldwide. These coastal ecosystems are invaluable to humans, supplying a number of services essential for our survival. We still do not know how much these ecosystems are worth from an economic perspective…

  • Confronting Climate Change

    Rosina Bierbaum, formerly of President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and an Adaptation Fellow at the World Bank, shows how climate change will affect all regions and sectors of the economy, and disproportionately affect the poorest people on the planet. Therefore, improving the resilience, adaptation, and preparedness of communities must be…

  • Unlocking the Science Behind Atmospheric Rivers

    This year, California’s winter weather has been wet and wild. Join Scripps scientist Marty Ralph, Director of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) as he describes the phenomena of atmospheric rivers, their impact on our weather, and the essential role modeling and prediction play in managing California’s precious water resources. Watch Unlocking…