Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Experience a Full-Moon Walk on Scripps Pier

Birch Aquarium at Scripps naturalists guide participants on this moonlit adventure

Scripps Institution of Oceanography / University of California, San Diego

Dates: June 16, July 14 & 15, Aug. 12 & 13
Time: 7-9:30 p.m.
Dates: Sept. 11 & 12, Oct. 10 & 11
Time: 6-8:30 p.m.

Cost: $25 per person
Ages: 9+ (minors must be accompanied by a paid adult)
RSVP Required: 858-534-7336 or online.

A warm night lit by a full moon is the perfect time to explore one of La Jolla's most prominent landmarks - the Scripps Pier. Join Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, to experience this rare opportunity.

The Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier, typically closed to the public, is used by scientists, students and aquarium staff for a variety of research projects. It also serves as a platform to collect local marine life and deploy small boats and oceanographic instruments.

During this moonlit walk along the entire 1,090-foot concrete pier, aquarium naturalists will teach participants about the structure's history, and guide them as they dissect a squid, make marine organisms glow in the dark, collect plankton, observe ocean conditions and study the nocturnal habits of marine life. A tour of the Scripps Oceanography campus is included in this jam-packed night of fun and exploration.

About Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Birch Aquarium at Scripps is the public exploration center for the world-renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. Perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the aquarium features more than 60 habitats of fish and invertebrates from the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest to the tropical waters of Mexico and the Caribbean. An interactive museum showcases research discoveries by Scripps scientists on climate, Earth and ocean science. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Birch Aquarium has an annual attendance of more than 410,000, including 45,000 school children.

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About Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California, San Diego, is one of the oldest, largest and most important centers for global science research and education in the world. Now in its second century of discovery, the scientific scope of the institution has grown to include biological, physical, chemical, geological, geophysical and atmospheric studies of the earth as a system. Hundreds of research programs covering a wide range of scientific areas are under way today in 65 countries. The institution has a staff of about 1,400, and annual expenditures of approximately $170 million from federal, state and private sources. Scripps operates robotic networks, and one of the largest U.S. academic fleets with four oceanographic research ships and one research platform for worldwide exploration. Birch Aquarium at Scripps serves as the interpretive center of the institution and showcases Scripps research and a diverse array of marine life through exhibits and programming for more than 415,000 visitors each year. Learn more at scripps.ucsd.edu.

About UC San Diego
Fifty years ago, the founders of the University of California, San Diego, had one criterion for the campus: It must be distinctive. Since then, UC San Diego has achieved the extraordinary in education, research and innovation. Sixteen Nobel laureates have taught on campus; stellar faculty members have been awarded Fields Medals, Pulitzer Prizes, McArthur Fellowships and many other honors. UC San Diego-recognized as one of the top ten public universities by U.S. News & World Report and named by the Washington Monthly as number one in the nation in rankings measuring "what colleges are doing for the country"- is widely acknowledged for its local impact, national influence and global reach. UC San Diego is celebrating 50 years of visionaries, innovators and overachievers.
50th.ucsd.edu

• Jessica Crawford or Shannon Casey
• Phone: 858.534.3624
  birchaqmnews@ucsd.edu

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