News archives

A scuba diver in a towering giant‑kelp forest habitat at the aquarium feeds marine animals while guests look on in excitement

Living Seas, Living Dreams: Birch Aquarium’s 2025 Story

Over a 10-day study, researchers filmed the feeding behaviors of several syngnathid species at Birch Aquarium, including the Weedy Seadragon.

Scientists Study How Syngnathids Snack at Super Speed

A Little Blue Penguin sitting on a nest of grass, sticks and leaves inside a brown burrow box at Birch Aquarium.

Little Blue Penguin Nesting Season Begins at Birch Aquarium

Two tiny red octopus hatchlings, only a few days old.

Birch Aquarium Celebrates World Octopus Day with Red Octopus Hatchlings

A diver sits on the underwater platform of Aquarius Reef Base.

Birch Aquarium Announces Meditation Ocean: Aquarius Reef Base

Meditation Ocean Constellation installation opens this November

An endangered Mountain Yellow-legged Frog leaps into its new home after being released into the lake.

Hundreds of Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs Leap Back Into the Wild

Birch Aquarium, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and other partners join forces to help save this endangered amphibian.

Birch Aquarium recently tagged more than 220 frogs with Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags

Endangered Frogs Tagged for Reintroduction to the Wild

More than 220 Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs are one step closer to returning to their native Southern California mountains.

Guests observe a Tropical Coral habitat at the aquarium filled with colorful corals, fish and giant clams.

Coral Conservation Comes to Life in Living Seas

The aquarium’s new Tropical Pacific Coral Habitat brings big wins for coral conservation

A Little Blue Penguin is in the beginning stage of its annual catastrophic molt.

Penguin Molting Makeover

Annual Catastrophic Molt Underway for Birch Aquarium’s Little Blue Penguins

Kelp Cutting ceremony.

Kelp Cutting Marks New Chapter: Birch Aquarium Unveils Adam R. Scripps Living Seas Gallery

New exhibition brings guests into the world of the Pacific Ocean through immersive displays.

Entrance to an exhibit featuring the Oarfish, Regalecus russellii, with blue curtains framing a dark room where the preserved deep-sea fish is displayed in a lit case.

Birch Aquarium Unveils Oarfish Exhibition

A preserved Short-crested Oarfish found locally last year is on display at Birch Aquarium

A detailed rendering of a vibrant new coral habitat that will be featured in Living Seas

The Countdown is on for Birch Aquarium’s Living Seas

New exhibition opens May 22 with new habitats and immersive experiences

The Penguin Care Team gently holds the three Little Blue Penguin chicks of the 2025 hatch season.

Caring for Penguin Chicks

Birch Aquarium celebrates another successful hatch season, welcoming three Little Blue Penguin chicks.

Two mountain yellow-legged frogs rest on lush green vegetation in their habitat, their golden-hued legs contrasting against the foliage.

Birch Aquarium Leaps Into Frog Conservation

The aquarium joins collaborative effort to save the endangered Mountain Yellow-legged Frog.

a large brown and white bird sits on a tree branch; its wings are darker brown with blue speckles

Birch Aquarium Welcomes Animal Ambassadors

These animals play a key role in conservation outreach and education.

A little blue penguin swims underwater beneath a floating basketball in its habitat.

March of the Meatloaf

Help Birch Aquarium win Penguins International’s 2025 March of the Penguin Madness Tournament

Three campers wearing Birch Aquarium green and blue rash guards and snorkel gear stand in front of the ocean

Make a splash with Birch Aquarium’s Summer Camps!

The popular summer camps promote ocean exploration, science and adventure.

Entrance to Embodied Pacific: Ocean Unseen with the credit wall on the left and the title on the right

PST ART Climate Impact Report: Embodied Pacific: Ocean Unseen at Birch Aquarium

Embodied Pacific is a distributed, multi-sited exhibition with seven locations on and around the University of California San Diego campus, one site of which is Birch Aquarium at Scripps.

an aquarist feeds Tongue Corals at Birch Aquarium

Caring for Animals During Construction

A newly hatched Dwarf Seahorse is carefully collected and transferred into a specialized grow-out tank for its growth and development.

Tiny Tails: Raising Seahorses at Birch Aquarium

Rendering of a vibrant mangrove habitat featured in the Living Seas exhibition.

Birch Aquarium Makes Moves from Hall of Fishes to Living Seas

New exhibition Living Seas is set to open next year with expanded habitats and upgraded life-support systems

Close-up of a Seahorse Hotel, an underwater structure designed to restore seahorse habitats. Four seahorses can be found holding onto the hotel with their prehensile tails.

The Best Exotic Seahorse Hotel

Birch Aquarium unveils underwater "Seahorse Hotel” to highlight ongoing seahorse conservation efforts.

Participants in Birch Aquarium's Tidepooling Adventures learn to respectfully navigate the intertidal zone

Adventure Outdoors During King Tides With Birch Aquarium

King Tides offer opportunities to learn about sea levels and intertidal habitats

Guests get up close view to a variety of corals, anemones and even tropical fish!

Coral is Cool! Five fun finds to discover in Coral Classroom.

a dancer in the Embodied Pacific: Ocean Unseen installation Superradiance. EmbodyingEarth. moves with the projected imagery on the wall behind

Birch Aquarium at Scripps and Oceanside Museum of Art Announce Membership Trade to Support PST ART Exhibitions in November

From November 1 - 30, OMA and Birch Aquarium Members will receive reciprocal membership access to PST ART: Art & Science Collide Exhibitions ‘Transformative Currents’ and ‘Embodied Pacific: Ocean Unseen’