Aquarium in the News

Birch Aquarium at Scripps is continuously in the news, lending its experts to speak about issues in ocean science and promoting its educational programs. 

San Diego Whale-Watching Adventures
Arizona Central, November 13, 2009

Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its whale-watching program with San Diego Harbor Excursions, offering daily whale-watching cruises as well as extended expeditions to see the whales up close off Mexico. Starting Dec. 26, Birch Aquarium will offer two daily tours, each lasting about 3 1/2 hours. Naturalists will discuss the biology and migration of the whales, as well as sea lions, birds, and other animals that live in the area.
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Seahorses Take Center Stage at New Aquarium Exhibit

La Jolla Light, November 11, 2009

See the sea's most captivating creatures in There's Something About Seahorses, opening Nov. 14 at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. The 2,000-square-foot, interactive exhibit will feature up-close experiences with more than a dozen species of live seahorses and their relatives, including pipefish, shrimpfish, and sea dragons. "To this day, visitors inquire about the sea horses featured in our popular exhibit from several years ago, so we know they are still as captivated by the animals as we are," said Nigella Hillgarth, Birch Aquarium at Scripps executive director.
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Astronaut Shares Memories, Mementos from Space

La Jolla Light, November 11, 2009

In May, NASA astronaut K. Megan McArthur made her first space flight as a mission specialist aboard the space shuttle Atlantis.The mission took 12 days, but for McArthur the trip wasn't complete until she returned this month to UC San Diego and thanked supporters at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. McArthur was a graduate student at Scripps and a Birch Aquarium at Scripps volunteer when NASA selected her in 2000 as an astronaut candidate.
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EARTH 8: Baby Seahorses Will Soon Make Their Big Debut
KFMB-8, Nov. 4, 2009

When they're born, these tiny babies are about the length of a pinky nail, and as wide as the tip of a pen. In this Earth 8 video report, Kimberly King shows us baby seahorses at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. (Features interview with Birch Aquarium Executive Director Nigella Hillgarth. To watch segment click play below video screen in top right corner.)
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Spooky Science & Fun at Haunted Birch Aquarium
CBS 8 San Diego, October 21, 2009

Things are getting spooky over at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, just in time for Halloween. (Features interview with Birch Aquarium Executive Director Nigella Hillgarth. Click here to see more...

Fabulous Field Trips

San Diego Family Magazine, October 13, 2009

With school transportation an ongoing financial issue for many districts, classroom field trips have taken a hit in recent years. Some families are taking it upon themselves to bring learning to life with a homeschooler’s favorite tool—the educational outing. Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego offers not only exhibits on marine biology, but ongoing hands-on studies of climate change and physical oceanography relevant to all ages.
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Rowe Partners with Scripps to Integrate Marine Life Studies

Del Mar Time, October 7, 2009

The Rancho Santa Fe School District doesn't devote one week to marine studies anymore. Instead a new partnership with Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and Birch Aquarium at Scripps is helping marine science be a part of the curriculum year-round at R. Roger Rowe.
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Free Museum Day Offers Cultural Bonanza

San Diego News Network, September 20, 2009

Fossils, fine art, or fish — on Museum Day, you can explore just about anything you wish. Smithsonian magazine’s fifth annual Museum Day, scheduled for September 26, is a one-day event where admission fees are waived at participating museums and other cultural attractions across the country. Many of San Diego’s educational and cultural institutions are participating in the event. So far, 14 locations within the county have volunteered including Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego.
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Geppetto's Presents Kids on Camera: Children Get a Chance to See Life in the Sea

La Jolla Light, September 2, 2009

The summer's programs at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, included day camps to teach children about the ocean world and the amazing marine life that inhabits the sea. Depending on their age groups, which had names such as Sea Slugs and Only One Ocean, they watched animals, explored tide pools and the aquarium, and also enjoyed stories, crafts, and hands-on experiences with live animals.
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