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Monday, June 4, 2007 Celebrate World Ocean Day at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Scripps Institution of Oceanography / University of California, San Diego World Ocean Day: Friday, June 8, 2007 Birch Aquarium at Scripps would like to invite you to join us Friday, June 8, to mark the 15th annual World Ocean Day. June 8 has also been declared by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be California's "Thank You Ocean" Day. Birch Aquarium at Scripps, part of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, is perched on the hills above the Pacific coastline and offers several stunning spots where you can broadcast weather reports while celebrating the ocean, home to spectacular ecosystems and a vital San Diego resource. In mid-May, the aquarium opened its newest exhibit, "Feeling the Heat: The Climate Challenge," which addresses climate change's impacts on our ocean and the groundbreaking research of Scripps climate scientists. Also, Birch Aquarium Executive Director Nigella Hillgarth will be available for interviews. Created in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, World Ocean Day is an annual opportunity to celebrate our ocean and personal connection to the sea. The summit was the first major international gathering focused on the health of the ocean. Its centerpiece was the ratification of the Global Warming Treaty, made possible by the inaugural 1990 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an international body of researchers who analyze climate change and its impacts on the planet. Four Scripps scientists were key contributors to the lead component of the fourth IPCC report, released in February. This year's World Ocean Day coincides with the first-ever National Oceans Month, designated by President Bush this week to encourage Americans to celebrate and protect our precious natural treasure. Bush's proclamation came the same day he called upon the United States and other major industrial nations to launch a campaign for limiting greenhouse gas emissions. "Thank You Ocean" Public Service Announcement Available Birch Aquarium at Scripps is an outreach partner of ThankYouOcean.org, a statewide campaign organized by NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program and the State of California Resources Agency. The "Thank You Ocean" campaign is designed to instill in Californians a sense of personal connection and responsibility to our ocean and coast. ThankYouOcean.org is a gateway to everything "ocean" in California and includes resources on how visitors can learn about, visit and protect the seas. To view the stirring public-service announcement about the organization's efforts, visit ThankYouOcean.org. Birch Aquarium at Scripps can provide a beta tape of the PSA upon request for broadcast. Visit the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Location: 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla, Calif. Phone: 858/534-FISH Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Parking: The Birch Aquarium's parking lot offers three-hour courtesy parking with admission. Admission: $11 Adult, 18+ $9 Senior, 60+ $7.50 Youth, 3-17 Free Children, 2 and under Free Scripps Oceanographic Society Members Directions: From Interstate 5, exit at La Jolla Village Drive. West one mile. Left on Expedition Way. Web site: http://aquarium.ucsd.edu # # # 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. 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. The National Research Council has ranked Scripps first in faculty quality among oceanography programs nationwide 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 1,300, and annual expenditures of approximately $155 million from federal, state and private sources. Scripps operates one of the largest U.S. academic fleets with four oceanographic research ships and one research platform for worldwide exploration. |
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