Scripps Institution of Oceanography
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The Scripps Institution of Oceanography (sometimes referred to as SIO or just Scripps) in La Jolla, California is one of the oldest, largest, and most important centers for marine science research, graduate training, and public service in the world.
Scripps Institution was founded in 1903 as an independent biological research laboratory that became part of the University of California in 1912. It was renamed the Scripps Institution for Biological Research in recognition of the financial support given to the institution by the Scripps family. During the 1960s, it formed the nucleus for the creation of the University of California, San Diego on a bluff overlooking the Scripps Institution.
The institution's research programs encompass biological, physical, chemical, geological, and geophysical studies of the oceans. Scripps also studies the interaction of the oceans with both the atmospheric climate and environmental concerns on terra firma. Related to this research, Scripps offers doctoral degrees in Oceanography, Marine Biology and Earth Sciences.
Today, the Scripps staff of 1,300 includes approximately 90 faculty, 300 other scientists and 200 graduate students, with an annual budget of more than $140 million. The institution operates a fleet of four oceanographic research vessels and has served as manager of the Deep Sea Drilling Program.
The Scripps Institution is widely considered to be the West Coast counterpart of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. However, the analogy is not exact: Scripps is a division of UCSD, while Woods Hole is an independent non-profit group that collaborates with MIT.
Research vessels
The four research vessels currently operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography are: