from the director

from the director
April 12–18 is National Volunteer Week, but we celebrate volunteers every day at
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
Birch Aquarium at Scripps. They provide invaluable assistance in all departments,
both behind-the-scenes and out on the floor, and greatly enhance the experience of
Our Mission
The mission of Birch
Aquarium at Scripps is
to provide ocean science
education, to interpret
Scripps Institution of
Oceanography research,
and to promote ocean
conservation.
our visitors.
PAID
San Diego, CA
Permit No 1909
9500 Gilman Drive #0207
La Jolla, CA 92093-0207
Last year, 397 dedicated volunteers gave Birch Aquarium nearly 32,000 hours of their
Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego
Spring 2015
time, helping greet visitors, interpret exhibits, facilitate school programs, share stories
about marine life, narrate our Kelp Tank Dive Show, and care for our animals. Alfie
Guerrero logged an impressive 803.5 volunteer hours in 2014, close to an aquarium
record. Through their knowledge and passion, our volunteers add a special depth to
the visitor experience.
Volunteers also serve as Birch Aquarium ambassadors out in the community. This
year, 85 volunteers were trained to work on our whale-watching cruises. Out on the
water, they help participants spot whales and other marine life and assist aquarium
naturalists with interpretation. Volunteers also participate in community events, from
Accredited by:
Grunion Runs
the La Jolla Christmas Parade to Earth Day to UC San Diego’s Triton 5K, where they
help promote the aquarium’s mission and programs to the public.
If you are interested in volunteering at Birch Aquarium, I encourage you to fill out
an application and attend our next Volunteer Information Session on April 19. Learn
more at http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/Members_and_Friends/Volunteer.
Connect:
Our volunteers, staff, and I look forward to seeing you at Birch Aquarium this spring.
Sincerely,
Contact:
Mailing Address:
9500 Gilman Drive #0207
La Jolla, CA 92093-0207
Email: aquariuminfo@ucsd.edu
Phone: 858.534.FISH
Website: aquarium.ucsd.edu
Debbie Zmarzly, Ph.D., Interim Director
Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego
A Local Experience Unlike
Any Other
Throughout the spring, silvery fish called
grunion ride the waves onto our beaches
to spawn. Grunion typically spawn after
the highest tide associated with each full
or new moon from March to August.
Runs begin with a few fish swimming
to shore with a wave and occasionally
stranding themselves on the beach.
Gradually, more and more fish come in
with the waves until a “blanket” of grunion
covers the beach. Female grunion swim
up on the beach and wiggle the back end
of their bodies into the sand as the wave
recedes.
As females deposit their eggs in the sand,
males fertilize them. About 10 days later, the
eggs are ready to hatch. They will remain
viable until they are freed from the sand
by the next series of high tides. The baby
grunion hatch two or three minutes after
the eggs are carried into the ocean by the
waves.
Experience this spectacle of nature by
attending a Birch Aquarium Grunion Run
program. In addition to searching the beach
for grunion, participants will learn about the
mating behavior of this unusual fish and
even get to watch grunion eggs hatch.
For this year’s Grunion Run dates, visit
aquarium.ucsd.edu or call 858-534-7336.
Octavio Aburto Wins Award
Photo Credit: Claudio Contreras-Koob
In October 2014, Mexico’s Minister
of the Environment honored Scripps
marine ecologist Octavio Aburto with
the Mexican government’s 2014
Conservation of Nature Award for
academic investigations. The award
recognizes Aburto’s research in several
Marine Protected Areas in the Gulf of
California, the Mexican Caribbean, and
the Mexican Pacific Ocean. Aburto is also
an award-winning photographer whose
work is featured in Birch Aquarium’s
current exhibit, Mexican Seas | Mares
Mexicanos.
Your gift today to Birch Aquarium’s Education Endowment
will help reach thousands of San Diego-area students.
The Education Endowment is a multi-million dollar initiative founded in 2014 to
increase Birch Aquarium’s ability to provide outreach education. Outreach efforts
bring the ocean to thousands of K–12 students each year, many of whom are from
underserved communities and cannot otherwise afford our modest program fees.
You can help! aquarium.ucsd.edu/give
Look Closer:
Grunion Runs
Spring Eggstravaganza
Perspectives Lectures
FSC
Spring 2015
March 2015
Sunday
Whale Watching
Monday
Whale
Watching
Continues
1
Tuesday
Priority
Summer
Camp
Registration
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Now–April 19
9:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. & 1:30–5 p.m.
Saturday
16
17
18
19
20
21
Join our twice-daily cruises to locate
gray whales on their round-trip
migration from their Alaska feeding
grounds to Baja California.
Purchase Tickets:
Flagship Cruises & Events at
619-234-4111 or at flagshipsd.com
Members: $30 daily
Public: $38 weekdays, $43 weekends
Youth (4–12 with paid adult):
$19 weekdays, $22 weekends
23
24
25
26
27
28
SEA Days
2
3
4
5
6
10
11
12
13
7
Perspectives
Lecture
Did You Know?
The 1903 charter
establishing the Marine
Biological Association of
San Diego, which later
became Scripps Institution
of Oceanography,
included a mandate for
a public aquarium. That
effort began as a few
tanks showcasing local
sea life, and in 1915, the
first stand-alone aquarium
building was constructed.
It featured 19 tanks
ranging in size from 96 to
228 gallons.
8
Summer Camp
Registration
9
14
SEA Days
15
Grunion Run
22
Turtle Tracking
March 21: 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
29
Members Only
Free Admission to the Living
Coast Discovery Center
March 1–15
Birch Aquarium members receive free
admission to the Living Coast Discovery
Center from March 1–15. Set against the
natural beauty of San Diego Bay and the
Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge,
this zoo/aquarium features animals native to
the Southern California coastline.
30
Theater at the Fleet member price of $8.95
per person.
Jeffrey B. Graham
Show your aquarium membership card at
the Fleet ticket counter to receive this offer.
March 9: 7–8 p.m.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Registration
Breathless through Time: How
Oxygen Can Alter Evolution and
Adaptation of Life in the Ocean
Dr. Erik Sperling, paleontologist
Perspectives on
Ocean Science Lecture
Summer Learning
Adventure Camps
Priority registration begins March 2
General registration begins March 9 at
aquarium.ucsd.edu
Show your aquarium membership card at
the Living Coast Discovery Center ticket
booth to receive this offer.
The oxygen content of Earth’s oceans
has changed dramatically through time,
from virtually no oxygen to present-day
levels, with important consequences for
the evolution of life. Today, ocean oxygen
levels are also changing as a consequence
of global warming. Learn how low-oxygen
settings in the modern ocean can inform
us about the “explosion” of animal life
more than half a billion years ago, mass
extinctions, and the future of our oceans.
Summer Learning Adventure Camps
blend scientific exploration with
hands-on fun and learning. Campers
investigate marine habitats, create
ocean art projects, combine the science
and sport of surfing and snorkeling,
learn about careers in oceanography,
and more, all while making new friends
and memories. Camps run from June
22–August 21 and are accredited by the
American Camp Association.
Free Admission to Reuben H.
Fleet Science Center
March 16–31
Birch Aquarium members receive free
admission to the Reuben H. Fleet Science
Center from March 16–31. The Fleet
features more than 100 interactive science
exhibits in eight galleries. Aquarium
members can also see the latest IMAX film,
Humpback Whales, in the Giant Dome
Discover Science, Exploration &
Adventure. If you’ve ever spotted a
turtle in local waters, it has likely been
a Green Sea Turtle. This species has
inhabited San Diego Bay since the
mid-1800s, enjoying the warm water
and foraging in the eelgrass beds of
the South Bay. Ever wondered what
these turtles do all day? Find out from
an area scientist who tracks their daily
movements. Included with admission
and free for aquarium members.
31
RSVP: 858-534-5771 or at
aquarium.ucsd.edu
Members: FREE | Public: $8
Students/Educators: $5
Past presentations air on UCSD-TV. Visit
ucsd.tv/oceanscience for more info.
Priority, phone-only registration for Aquarium
Associates level (or above) members begins
on March 2. To register, call 858-534-7336.
April 2015
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Grunion Runs
March 22: 10:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m.
April 5: 9:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m.
April 20: 10 p.m.–12 a.m.
May 7: 10:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m.
May 20: 10:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m.
June 5: 10:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m.
Get ready for a true Southern
California experience! Watch
hundreds of small silver fish called
grunion ride the waves onto La Jolla
beaches to spawn. Before hitting the
beach, see grunion hatch before your
eyes during a special presentation
about this mysterious fish. Ages 6–13
must attend with a paid adult.
Pre-purchase required:
858-534-7336 or at aquarium.ucsd.edu
Members: $14 | Public: $16
Saturday
Eggstravaganza Eggstravaganza
Seeking Grunion?
Spring and summer
months are the perfect
time to try your luck at
a late-night search for
grunion as they make
their way onto San Diego
beaches to spawn. To
increase your chances
of seeing this incredible
phenomenon, stay quiet
and leave flashlights off.
Noise, lights, and activity
can frighten grunion right
back into the surf.
1
2
3
4
8
9
10
11
Eggstravaganza
Grunion Run
5
6
Perspectives
Lecture
12
Springfest:
IMMERSION
7
Exploring
Ocean STEM
Careers
13
SEA Days
14
15
21
27
22
28
29
Members: $10 | Public: $12
RSVP: 858-534-5771 or at
aquarium.ucsd.edu
Explore exciting careers in ocean
science. There is much more to
oceanography than you might think! Meet
scientists and professionals from Scripps
Institution of Oceanography and Birch
Aquarium who are involved in a diverse
array of careers. Gain valuable resources
while learning more about ocean-related
STEM (science, technology, engineering,
math) professions. Open to students in
grades 6–12. Ages 16 and under must be
accompanied by a paid adult.
18
23
30
24
25
31
carry as much water as Earth’s largest
rivers and can have profound impacts when
they hit the California coast. Join Scripps
researcher Marty Ralph as he describes
their crucial role in both water supply and
flooding across much of the U.S. West
Coast, and how improved forecasting can
help harness these California rainmakers.
Jeffrey B. Graham
Perspectives on
Ocean Science Lecture
April 13: 7–8 p.m.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Atmospheric Rivers: California
Rainmakers
Dr. Marty Ralph, climatologist
Tuesday
Wednesday
Join us for a special evening under
the sea featuring UC San Diego music
graduate students. At this third annual
event, stroll through the aquarium and
enjoy exciting live music and immersive
electronic soundscapes written
especially for the evening and inspired
by the ocean and marine life.
Friday
Saturday
1
2
8
9
Members: $8 | Public: $10
Buy Tickets: 858-534-4109 or
aquarium.ucsd.edu
Grunion Run
Toothless Turtles
O N S I T E
Like birds, turtles have
beaks instead of teeth.
Sea turtles’ beaks have
adapted to their food
sources. Loggerhead Sea
Turtles have strong beaks
and jaws for crushing
hard-shelled prey, while
Green Sea Turtles have
serrated beaks perfect for
cropping algae.
3
4
5
6
7
Perspectives
Lecture
10
11
SEA Days
12
13
14
15
16
21
22
23
Grunion Run
17
24/31
24/31
Jeffrey B. Graham
Perspectives on
Ocean Science Lecture
May 11: 7–8 p.m.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Charles David Keeling Annual Lecture
Please join us for the sixth annual Keeling
Lecture, in memory of distinguished Scripps
Professor Charles David Keeling’s life and
invaluable contributions to climate science
and Scripps. Visit aquarium.ucsd.edu for the
speaker and topic for this special lecture.
RSVP: 858-534-5771 or at
aquarium.ucsd.edu
Members: FREE | Public: $8
Students/Educators: $5
Thursday
Discover Science, Exploration &
Adventure. Sea turtles are found in
every ocean except the Arctic. How do
scientists assess population sizes of
these far-ranging, highly mobile animals?
Join us for SEA Days and meet a
researcher who does just that. Discover
what tools are used in the field to aid
in the conservation of these important,
well-traveled animals. Included with
admission and free for aquarium
members.
April 19: 6–8 p.m.
May 2015
Monday
Traveling with Turtles
April 18: 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Springfest: IMMERSION
RSVP: 858-534-5771 or at
aquarium.ucsd.edu
Members: FREE | Public: $8
Students/Educators: $5
Past presentations air on UCSD-TV. Visit
ucsd.tv/oceanscience for more info.
“Atmospheric rivers” are long, narrow bands
of highly concentrated moisture that can
Sunday
April 3–5: 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Celebrate the arrival of spring and
the changes it brings by joining us
for Eggstravaganza! Explore animal
eggs, create a shark egg craft, and
participate in an “underwater egg
hunt”—no basket needed. Included
with admission and free for
aquarium members.
SEA Days
20
26
April 14: 6–8:30 p.m.
17
Grunion Run
Volunteer Info
Session
19
Exploring Ocean STEM Careers
16
Spring Eggstravaganza
18
25
19
Green Flash
Concert 20
26
27
Past presentations air on UCSD-TV. Visit
ucsd.tv/oceanscience for more info.
10th Anniversary
28
29
30
Purchase Tickets: 858-534-4109 or at
aquarium.ucsd.edu
Members: $29.95 | Public: $34.95
Walk-up rate: $38.95
Green Flash Concert Series
Performer: To be announced
May 20: 5:30–9 p.m.
Ages 21+ only
SEA Days
Don’t miss the 10th anniversary season
of this acclaimed concert series, brought
to you in partnership with KPRi 102.1
FM. Enjoy live music, great food and
drinks, and amazing sunset views from
the aquarium’s Tide-Pool Plaza. For a
great deal on all five concerts, purchase a
season pass (Public $149.95; Members
$125) at aquarium.ucsd.edu.
Discover Science, Exploration &
Adventure. Turtle bones produce
annual growth rings, much like a tree. By
taking a closer look at these rings, local
scientists are able to provide a multi-year
record of facts such as a turtle’s location,
age, size, and even its diet. At SEA Days,
view bone samples and learn how these
“turtle detectives” do their work!
Included with admission and free for
aquarium members.
Turtle Detectives
May 16: 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
E V E N T S
Check aquarium.ucsd.edu for dates and
times. Included with admission.
Explore-It Mondays & Fridays
Join us as we dive deeper into the
fascinating lives of ocean animals and
other interesting natural phenomenon.
Exciting demonstrations and fun
hands-on activities will engage learners
of all ages.
Think Tank Wednesdays
Pull up a chair and join a collaborative
learning experience where you
design and build your own innovative
solution to a variety of interesting
challenges. Sparks of curiosity and
creativity will get minds buzzing—
and hands moving.
San Diego Festival of
Science & Engineering
Birch Aquarium proudly celebrates the
annual San Diego Festival of Science
and Engineering. Join us March 14–21
and get hands-on with exciting STEMfocused activities every day.
N E X T I S S U E
Shark Summer, Green Flash Concert
Series, and Pier Walks!