Oceanography (Audio)

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 for these charismatic birds, Scripps researchers study penguins and how we’re working to establish a successful breeding colony to responsibly support and sustain Little Blue Penguin populations within the accredited zoos and aquariums community. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 37916]

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 sneakers. Burkart is a founder and has an equity position in Algenesis Materials. Series: "Triton Talks" [Science] [Show ID: 38075]

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 and her colleagues are pushing the limits of our knowledge to understand these intriguing questions and the long history and diversity of life on our planet. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 37915]

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, preserve and archive one of these unusual animals in Scripps world class oceanographic collections. This specimen, a true oddity, is now on display for a very limited time at Birch Aquarium. To see the footballfish and learn more about it, join us and Scripps Collections Manager, Ben Frable, for a deep dive into the fascinating story of this mysterious fish, where and how it lives, the biology of anglerfishes, and how Scripps scientists are preserving this animal for future research. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 37914]

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. Even actions on land, such as removing dams from rivers and rats from islands, can make an important difference to marine life. Of course, we still need to do much more, and do it faster. In the future, we can turn to new tools drawn from the natural and social sciences. Big data and genetic interventions have a role to play, as do ocean-based renewable energy sources and new financing schemes. Perhaps most important is the growing recognition that success depends on empowering local communities in efforts to create a healthier ocean. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 37775]

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 (CalCOFI), which has continuously and comprehensively sampled the marine environment off the California coast since 1949 to monitor the indicators and impacts of El Nino and climate change and to support effective marine management. Join marine ecologist and California Sea Grant extension specialist Erin Satterthwaite as she tells the story of CalCOFI through a series of case studies documenting how CalCOFI has been used to understand and address human and natural impacts on marine life along the California coast. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 37033]

The Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS) – part of the national U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) – works to collect, integrate and deliver coastal and ocean observations in order to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect the environment. SCCOOS serves a diverse stakeholder community of managers and planners, operational decision-makers, scientists, and the general public. Join SCCOOS Executive Director Clarissa Anderson as she describes how SCCOOS technology and observational programs provide information critical to decision-making related to climate change, coastal hazards, marine ecosystems, fisheries, water quality, and marine operations. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 37032]

Join Scripps postdoctoral scholar Lillian McCormick for an in depth look at how and why oxygen is changing in the ocean and how her research is providing insight into the impacts of low oxygen on vision in marine invertebrates. Learn about her new research results, her plans for future investigations and what we can do about oxygen decline in the ocean. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 36570]

When we think about climate change, we often focus on the effects that we can directly observe such as extreme weather events and catastrophic wildfires. Yet most of our planet is covered by ocean where the impacts of climate change have been more difficult to measure. Join Scripps physical oceanography professor Sarah Gille as she describes how oceanographers are using innovative technology to study our warming ocean. See how much and where it is changing, the implications of that warming and where that heat is coming from. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 35705]

Join Scripps climate scientist Yassir Eddebbar for an exploration of the oceans interior and a fascinating phenomenon oxygen minimum zones (OMZs). With a focus on Yassirs work in the tropical Pacific, learn what causes OMZs, how they are likely to change in response to climate change, and their potential to impact marine ecosystems and fisheries as climate warms. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 35704]