Scripps Institution of Oceanography

06/01/2026

🌡️ Capping global warming at 1.5℃ over pre-Industrial temperatures had been the climate community’s goal. At the ceremony honoring him as the 2026 recipient of the prestigious Crafoord Prize, Scripps Oceanography climate scientist Veerabhadran Ramanathan ended his lecture with an unsettling prediction: The world will reach 2.0℃ by 2045.

That was the original Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projection for when we would reach 1.5℃.

But there’s good news for the “Goldilocks planet,” which is, for now, ideally situated to sustain life. “We know how to solve the problem,” Ramanathan said, and there is enough time to do so, but not much.

Mitigation by itself is not enough. Adaptation to a changed world can’t be avoided and societal transformation will be absolutely necessary. The world’s poorest three billion people face this crisis right now. They endure life-threatening heat waves, for example, without even fans to cool them, let alone air conditioning.

It will take a dedicated base to spread the word. Ramanathan vowed to use part of the Crafoord Prize to further his goal to mint 1 million “climate warriors and champions” delivering solutions to the world.

Watch his full speech here: https://bit.ly/4aowA8H

📸: Veerabhadran Ramanathan receives the Crafoord Prize from the hands of HRH Prince Daniel of Sweden. Photo: Patrik Lundin

05/29/2026

📈 For nearly 70 years, Scripps Oceanography scientists have maintained a daily record of global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration known as the Keeling Curve.

By tracking carbon dioxide at a remote observatory atop the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii, scientists are monitoring how CO₂ levels are rising year after year.

🎥 Watch this video to learn more.

05/27/2026

⭐ Want to see your name in lights? Or, at least attached to a newly-described marine species? 🪱

Here's your chance to support the Benthic Invertebrate Collection at Scripps Oceanography while also leaving your legacy in the field forever! Several species, like this new species of Neoferdina sea star that was collected during a scientific SCUBA diving expedition in the Red Sea, are available to be named.

Learn more about the process here: https://bit.ly/4u79B9C

05/24/2026

🔴 🌊 What's behind red tide events?
✨ 🔵 What causes the blue glow of bioluminescence?
⚠️ What can trigger a harmful algal bloom?

The answer: Phytoplankton blooms!

Curious about the science behind the ocean magic? We caught up with Scripps Oceanography experts to learn more about how these microscopic, plant-like organisms create both potential risks and eye-catching displays along the coast: https://bit.ly/4tiOTmv

05/21/2026

🌊🚢 Kalia Chalom, a recent graduate of Scripps Oceanography, recently served as an oxygen analyst on the A16S repeat hydrography cruise, a major US GO-SHIP expedition tracking South Atlantic ocean health. The goal was to collect critical ocean data that informs our understanding of climate, ocean circulation and life beneath the surface.

With a camera in hand and an eye for capturing life at sea, Chalom supported a team involved with measuring a suite of parameters to create high-resolution records of heat, freshwater, carbon, oxygen, nutrients and transient tracers. Her role was to perform Winkler titrations — a standard method used to measure the dissolved oxygen concentration in water samples — to analyze oxygen concentrations.

“Hydrographic cruises, like what we do with US GO-SHIP, are incredibly important to give us a realistic understanding of our current ocean conditions,” Chalom said. “These highly accurate recordings are essential to inform and predict Earth's climate.”

And the science is only part of the adventure: along the way, the team has encountered fog-covered iceberg fields, deep ocean water masses hundreds of years old, and even glowing juvenile mahi-mahi in the nutrient-poor waters of the South Atlantic.

Chalom, who graduated from the marine biology program in 2025, worked with the Coastal Processes Group, which fostered her love for being in the field.

“My time at Scripps prepared me for this experience with the opportunity to see many areas of oceanographic research. Being a marine biology major allowed me to gear my courses towards my passions,” she said. “Taking a wide array of courses and labs gave me the interdisciplinary lens that helps with projects like GO-SHIP where many different disciplines are working toward a common goal.”

You can read more about her experience here: https://www.go-bgc.org/expedition/atlantic-2026/the-a16s-adventure

05/20/2026

🔬Here's how YOU can help save federal funding for science that impacts YOU!

If you want new treatments for diseases, extreme weather predictions that could save your life, or tech that makes your daily life a little easier, then you want Congress to invest in American science. Take action below. ⤵️

Join us in asking Congress to reject drastic cuts to research.

05/18/2026

🏄🏾 Surf’s up in the Conservation Leadership Program! Let’s check in to see what these outstanding high school students are up to as part of the program dedicated to strengthening student capacity in ocean literacy, supporting students in local community engagement projects, and fostering a network and community of workforce knowledge and leadership opportunities.

🔬Students dove into the underwater world through VR and explored ocean genomics with scientists from the Wegley Kelly Lab and The Semmens Lab at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Through this experience, they stepped into the role of ocean detectives and even got a firsthand look at how cutting-edge technology such as how nanopore is transforming marine science in the field at the J. Craig Venter Institute with Ariel Rabines.

🌿 At Buena Vista Nature Center in Oceanside, students partnered with Ataaxum Pomkwaan, a Native and Indigenous-led organization, to learn about wetland restoration, Indigenous stewardship and the importance of reconnecting communities to ancestral homelands. Through hands-on restoration activities, they explored how caring for ecosystems also means honoring culture, history, and relationships to place.

🎈Climate science came to life on the Scripps Oceanography campus, where students explored climate-inspired artwork with researcher Sasha Gershunov before helping launch a weather balloon off the iconic Scripps Pier with scientists from the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes.

🐝 Students also dug into pollinator conservation at the WorldBeat Cultural Center, learning from Kemi of Savage Bee-ches about native bees, environmental justice, urban ecology, and the surprising complexities of supporting pollinators in cities, complete with a local honey tasting. They also visited the Healing Garden with Chris from Garden 31 to learn about permaculture, regenerative growing practices, and the healing power of plants in community spaces.

🌊 And of course, these student leaders wrapped up their learning where they belonged: in the water. At Kellogg Park in La Jolla, students built ocean confidence through surfing and snorkeling, led by Fernando Gonzalez and Alberto Rivera from Scripps and supported by other community surfers and organizations such as For Our Neighborhood.

The final day of the 12-week program brought students together for a special keynote speaker and graduation celebration honoring the successful completion of the Conservation Leadership Program’s first cohort. Featuring Octavio Aburto-Oropeza, Catalina López-Sagástegui, and Sahmie Wytewa, the event highlighted conservation in action, diverse career pathways, and Indigenous stewardship of place, celebrating the students’ growth as emerging environmental leaders.

🌎 Students in the Conservation Leadership Program packed this season with hands-on science, community connection, and ocean adventure. And this is just the beginning… stay tuned as some students prepare to take the plunge into their next adventure: earning their SCUBA certifications and exploring the ocean from below the surface!

Surf over to this link to learn more about upcoming programming: https://liderazgoenconservacion.org/conservation-leadership-san-diego/

05/18/2026

🌎 What inspires someone to dedicate their life to understanding our planet, and even worlds beyond it? For Meenakshi Wadhwa, it all started with curiosity.

As the new director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, she is championing the power of science and collaboration to help address some of the world’s biggest challenges.

Meenakshi recently spoke with NBC 7 San Diego’s Catherine Garcia as part of the People You Should Know series, where they discussed Meenakshi’s path that led her to science, the global research helping us better understand climate change and why protecting our planet has never been more important.

Tune in here:

Dr. Meenakshi Wadhwa, the new director of UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, has spent her career exploring our planet and beyond. In this e...

05/15/2026

🌊What started with volunteering in a marine biology lab led to a career shaping ocean policy. 🌎

Scripps Oceanography alumna Elena Duke followed her curiosity from undergraduate volunteer work in Hubbs Hall to marine biology research, a career at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tackling fisheries and plastic pollution issues, and eventually back to Scripps, where she now works as an external relations analyst.

"In my current role as external relations analyst at Scripps, I support the Government Relations team within the Director's Office, engaging external stakeholders and broadening awareness of Scripps research among state and local officials," she said. "I work to advocate for Scripps’s research while building meaningful connections between scientists, policymakers and community leaders. I conduct research and analysis on government reports, legislation and funding opportunities, and help coordinate institutional visits and events. "

Bonus: She also learned to surf at the north side of Scripps Pier, and still catches waves before and after work. 🏄‍♀️

Learn more: https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/elena-duke-making-waves-policy-protects-our-planet

05/14/2026

🔬 Microscopic life can give us BIG clues about what's happening in our ocean.

Researchers from Scripps Oceanography and California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) discovered that tiny ocean organisms, such as microbes and plankton, can help predict where baleen whales are along the California coast.

Using environmental DNA (eDNA), scientists analyzed seawater samples like an ocean "fingerprint,” revealing the hidden ecosystem that supports whales and their food web. They found that whale predictions were 53% more accurate than traditional methods.

The study also used data from CalCOFI, the world’s longest-running marine ecosystem monitoring program, now in its 77th year.

Swim over to the link to learn more about the study. ⤵️

A new use has emerged for a technology revolutionizing ocean research, led by marine biologists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.