Friday, June 1, 2012

Birch Aquarium at Scripps Announces Summer Evening Lecture Series

Topics feature ocean warming and leopard sharks

Scripps Institution of Oceanography / University of California, San Diego

Dates: June 11 & July 9
Time: 6:30-8 p.m.
Public: $8
Students/Educators: $5
RSVP: 858-534-5771 or online

The Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series features engaging presentations on research conducted worldwide by scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. Scripps scientists are exploring Earth's mysteries in hundreds of research projects under way on every continent. Learn about science at Scripps and join researchers on their paths to discovery.

Monday, June 11
135 Years of Global Ocean Warming
Dean Roemmich, physical oceanographer

A new study comparing past and present ocean temperatures reveals the global ocean has been warming for more than a century. Join Dean Roemmich, Scripps physical oceanographer and study co-author, as he describes how warm our oceans are getting, where all that heat is going and how this knowledge will help scientists better understand Earth's climate. Learn how scientists measured ocean temperature during the historic voyage of the HMS Challenger (1872-76) and how today's network of ocean-probing robots is changing the way scientists study the seas.

Monday, July 9
Local Legends: The Leopard Sharks of La Jolla Shores
Andy Nosal, Ph.D. student

Summertime in San Diego means the return of leopard sharks to La Jolla Shores. Contrary to popular belief, these sharks - 97% of which are pregnant females - are not giving birth or mating during their stay. Join Andy Nosal, a Scripps Ph.D. student who studies local leopards, to find out what scientists really think is going on. Discover what gadgets Nosal uses to track the sharks and learn what makes La Jolla the animals' preferred hang out. Find out why this shark population is particularly vulnerable and how the local no-take marine reserve protects it.

Perspectives lectures are intended for a lay audience. Birch Aquarium admission and parking are included. Light refreshments will be served.

Past lectures air on UCSD-TV and are broadcast to more than 16 million viewers via satellite and cable television. Lectures also can be found on YouTube. For more information, visit: http://ucsd.tv/oceanscience

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 beyond. An interactive museum showcases research discoveries by Scripps scientists on climate, earth and ocean science and features five dozen interactive elements. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Birch Aquarium has an annual attendance of more than 405,000, including 45,000 school children.

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Note to broadcast and cable producers: University of California, San Diego provides an on-campus satellite uplink facility for live or pre-recorded television interviews. Please phone or e-mail the media contact listed above to arrange an interview.

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.

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