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News Archive - Scripps Oceanography

First Nuclear Explosion Helps Test Theory of Moon’s Formation

February 8, 2017

In a new study, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego Professor James Day and colleagues examined the chemical composition of zinc and other volatile elements contained in the green-colored glass, called trinitite, which were radioactive materials formed under the extreme temperatures that resulted from the 1945 plutonium bomb explosion, to examine theories about the Moon’s formation some 4.5 billion years ago.

Campuswide Innovation at UC San Diego Gets $2.2 Million Boost from Elected Officials, UC System

February 6, 2017

Thanks to local and regional elected officials who helped assure passage of Assembly Bill 2664, the University of California San Diego has received $2.2 million from the UC system to help spur innovation and entrepreneurship on campus.

Antarctic Bottom Waters Freshening at Unexpected Rate

February 1, 2017

A team led by WHOI oceanographers Viviane Menezes and Alison Macdonald and Scripps researcher Courtney Schatzman report that Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) has freshened (become less saline) at a surprising rate between 2007 and 2016—a shift that could alter ocean circulation and ultimately contribute to rising sea levels.

Swarm of Underwater Robots Mimics Ocean Life

January 24, 2017

Underwater robots developed by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego offer scientists an extraordinary new tool to study ocean currents and the tiny creatures they transport. Swarms of these underwater robots helped answer some basic questions about the most abundant life forms in the ocean—plankton.

Study Finds Parrotfish are Critical to Coral Reef Health

January 23, 2017

In the new study, published in the Jan. 23 issue of the journal Nature Communication, Scripps researchers Katie Cramer and Richard Norris developed a 3,000-year record of the abundance of parrotfish and urchins on reefs from the Caribbean side of Panama to help unravel the cause of the alarming modern-day shift from coral- to algae-dominated reefs occurring across the Caribbean.

Artist Offers Dystopic Vision of New Life Emerging from Great Pacific Garbage Patch

January 18, 2017

Visitors to the gallery@calit2 on the University of California San Diego campus will be treated to a mind-expanding yet dystopic art show  that asks a simple question: If life started today in our plastic debris-filled oceans, what kinds of life forms would emerge out of the contemporary primordial ooze? The exhibition, “An Ecosystem of Excess”, opens February 2 and runs through March 17.

Researchers Capture First Glimpse of Ruby Seadragons in the Wild

January 13, 2017

Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego and the Western Australian Museum capture on video the first-ever field sightings of the newly discovered third species of seadragon. As they observed two Ruby Seadragons on video for nearly 30 minutes, the scientists uncovered new details about their anatomy, habitat, and behavior.

Latest ‘Inside Innovation’ Examines Stem Cells’ Role in Causing (and Fighting) Cancer

January 12, 2017

The next presentation in UC San Diego’s “Inside Innovation” series features Dr. Catriona Jamieson speaking on “Detection and Therapeutic Targeting of Cancer Stem Cell Evolution.” The free and public presentation will be held 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, in Roth Auditorium at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive. A networking reception will follow.

Climate Model Suggests Collapse of Atlantic Circulation Is Possible

January 4, 2017

The idea of climate change causing a major ocean circulation pattern in the Atlantic Ocean to collapse with catastrophic effects is mostly regarded as an extreme longshot but a new paper based on analysis done at a group of research centers including Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego shows that climate models may be drastically underestimating that possibility.

Researchers Capture Video of False Killer Whale’s Encounter with Longline

December 22, 2016

A team of researchers and fishermen, coordinated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego scientist Aaron Thode, used video and audio recordings to observe false killer whales removing fish from a longline fishing hook, a behavior known as depredation. They gained new insight into a behavior that has caused false killer whales to entangle with fishing gear at rates deemed unsustainable by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service.
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