Virtual Perspectives Lecture: Oceans Out of Breath | Monday, July 13 at 6 p.m Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2020-07-14 | Oceans Out of Breath: Oxygen Minimum Zones in a Warming ClimateSpeaker: Yassir Eddebbar, Scripps Oceanography Climate ScientistJoin Scripps climate scientist Yassir Eddebbar for an exploration of the ocean’s interior and a fascinating phenomenon – oxygen minimum zones (OMZs). With a focus on Yassir’s work in the tropical Pacific, learn what causes OMZs, how they are likely to change in response to climate change, and their potential to impact marine ecosystems and fisheries as climate warms. How to watch: youtube.com/birchaquarium
POV: You join us as we release endangered frogs to the wild! Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2026-09-09 | ...
Bat Ray Feeding Time! Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2026-08-17 | A Bat Ray’s secret superpower? A shell-crushing bite! With dental plates built for crushing, #BatRays can crack open tough shells and enjoy the meal inside. This local rat eats a variety of seafood, from crustaceans and molluscs to even small fish!At Birch Aquarium, our Animal Care Team hand-feeds our Bat Rays to make sure each one gets the nutrition they need to grow and thrive. It also gives our team a chance to do a quick visual check on each #stingray as they come up to feed.
Adam R. Scripps Living Seas Gallery: Where Curiosity Comes to Life! Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2026-04-30 | Adam R. Scripps Living Seas Gallery invites you on an unforgettable journey through the wonders of our ocean planet. Immerse yourself in the vibrant ecosystems of the Pacific — from the colder waters of the Pacific Northwest and the beauty of Coastal California to the colorful reefs of the Tropical Pacific. Plus, discover how Birch Aquarium is making waves in conservation — from saving the critically endangered Sunflower Sea Star to propagating coral and more!Visit aquarium.ucsd.edu to learn more about Birch Aquarium at Scripps - UC San Diego.
First-Ever Red Octopus Settlement Success Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2026-03-24 | Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is celebrating a historic milestone in cephalopod care with the successful settlement of more than 15 Red Octopuses (Octopus rubescens). Experts believe this is the first time this species has been hatched, raised and “settled” in aquarium care.
Little Blue Penguin Lays Egg 🥚🐧 Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2026-01-20 | This #PenguinAwarenessDay, we’re excited to give you a rare behind‑the‑scenes look at our Little Blue Penguins during breeding season … the moment one lays an egg!Little Blue Penguin breeding season is always an exciting time at the aquarium – it's a time when our penguins partner up, build cozy nests and start laying eggs that will hopefully hatch into chicks!Penguins use the warmth of their bodies to incubate the eggs, regularly checking and turning them to ensure proper development. This particular species typically lays a clutch of two eggs, which are incubated for an average of 36 days before hatching.Both the male and female share the responsibilities of incubating the eggs, feeding the chick once it hatches and protecting the nest. We’ll keep sharing updates throughout the breeding season, so be sure to check back for more penguin moments!
Birch Aquarium: Sunflower Star Spawn Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-09-12 | Successful Spawning and Cross-Fertilization Bring Hope for the Critically Endangered Sunflower Sea Star!
One small hop for a Mountain Yellow-legged Frog, one giant leap for conservation! 🎉🐸 Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-08-27 | ...
Hundreds of Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs Leap Back Into the Wild Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-08-26 | More than 350 Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs have been reintroduced into the wild in Southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains, marking one of the largest releases to date and a significant step in efforts to save this endangered species. The release also represents a milestone for Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego — the aquarium’s first-ever species reintroduction and a historic moment in its growing conservation work.Visit aquarium.ucsd.edu to learn more about Birch Aquarium at Scripps - UC San Diego.
Dive into the Giant Kelp Forest Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-07-16 | Have you ever witnessed a Giant Sea Bass gulp up a meal? Or a Horn Shark chow down on some food? It’s a truly phenomenal sight! We were able to capture an incredible perspective of the animals in our Giant Kelp Forest feeding, thanks to our awesome husbandry team and volunteer divers!Visit aquarium.ucsd.edu to learn more about Birch Aquarium at Scripps - UC San Diego.
Animal Enrichment: Sharks and Rays Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-07-15 | At Birch Aquarium, we engage our sharks and rays in enrichment sessions to enhance their care and overall health! From modifying habitats with new rocks and obstacles to encouraging natural foraging behaviors with puzzle feeders, our Husbandry Team aims to create experiences for our sharks and rays to engage in their natural behaviors!Visit aquarium.ucsd.edu to learn more about Birch Aquarium at Scripps - UC San Diego.
All the Sharks at Birch Aquarium Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-07-14 | It’s #SharkAndRayAwarenessDay! 🦈 We’re diving in with Scripps Oceanography postdoc scholar Brendan Talwar (@SharkDocs) and wildlife biologist Randy Thomas from @Netflix's All the Sharks to spot ALL the sharks and rays at Birch Aquarium!Let’s go find them all! 👀✨
🎉 Living Seas Now Open 🎉 Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-05-28 | You hear the ocean calling too, right? 🌊 #LivingSeas is now open! 🎉 Discover the wonders of our ocean at #BirchAquarium today!
🪸 Happy #VolunteerAppreciationWeek! 🌊 Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-04-24 | Meet Richard, one of our incredible Aquarist Assistant Volunteers who supports our Husbandry Team by helping care for our animals and their habitats. From non-stop cleaning and preparing food to maintaining healthy habitats, our aquarist assistant volunteers help support the amazing work behind the scenes!As #VolunteerAppreciationWeek comes to an end, we want to say a huge thank you to all of our incredible volunteers! You help us fulfill our mission to connect understanding to protecting our ocean planet every day. #ThankYouVolunteers
🤿 Happy Volunteer Appreciation Week! 🐟 Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-04-23 | Meet Anela, one of our Volunteer Divers who supports our Husbandry Team in caring for the animals in our Giant Kelp Forest! From feeding our Giant Sea Bass to cleaning habitats, our volunteer divers play a vital role in caring for amazing animals and the environment they call home! Stay tuned as we continue highlighting more friendly volunteer faces that make our aquarium shine! #VolunteerAppreciationWeek #ThankYouVolunteers
🐙 Happy Volunteer Appreciation Week! 🦞 Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-04-21 | Meet Liam, one of our Tide Pool Interpreter Volunteers who helps guests explore the wonders of our tide pools! From spotting fascinating marine life in the tide pools – like a juvenile Horn Shark – to showing guests how to get a “sea urchin hug,” our volunteers help make lasting memories! Stay tuned as we continue highlighting more friendly volunteer faces that make our aquarium shine! #VolunteerAppreciationWeek #ThankYouVolunteer
🐠 Happy Volunteer Appreciation Week! 💙 Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-04-20 | Meet Carol, one of our Greeter Volunteers who helps guests feel at home at Birch Aquarium! From sharing fun things happening at the aquarium that day to answering all your questions, Carol and all our incredible volunteers make every visit unforgettable. Stay tuned as we highlight more friendly faces that make our aquarium shine! #VolunteerAppreciationWeek #ThankYouVolunteers
Meet Our Newest Penguin Chicks Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-04-09 | Chick it out! 🐧💙🐣 We are thrilled to announce that we welcomed three Little Blue Penguin chicks into our colony this penguin hatch season. These adorable additions mark another heartwarming chapter in our penguin breeding and conservation success.Raising penguin chicks is a true labor of love — from egg to hatchling and every waddle in between. A huge shout-out to our Penguin Care Team, who worked around the clock to provide the best quality care every step of the way.For now, all three chicks are still behind the scenes as they continue to grow — but stay tuned! We’ll be sharing some adorable updates along the way.
Birch Aquarium: Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-04-08 | Visit aquarium.ucsd.edu to learn more about Birch Aquarium at Scripps - UC San Diego.
Indigenous Ocean Day at Birch Aquarium 2024 Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-03-18 | Indigenous Ocean Day is an annual celebration, honoring Indigenous peoples and their deep ocean knowledge, with a focus on the original peoples in the region we now call San Diego County and northern Baja California. With a focus on the original peoples in the region we now call San Diego County and northern Baja California, this event features storytelling, hands-on activities like tule boat making, opportunities to engage with Indigenous cultural and educational organizations and more!Video Production by Condor Visual Mediacondorvm.com
🐟 Watch us install the massive acrylic window for our new pelagic habitat in Living Seas 🐟 Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-02-25 | 🐟 and just like that the massive acrylic window for our new pelagic habitat in Living Seas is o-fish-ially in place! This new pelagic habitat will give you an amazing view of incredible marine life living in the open ocean.Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes looks as Living Seas comes to life. Living Seas opens summer 2025.
Birds Supporting Birds Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-02-06 | The Little Blue Penguins at Birch Aquarium are ready for the big sportsball game this weekend and are waddling into the action with a winning prediction! The whole penguin team got in on the fun as our two Penguin Care Team members raced to see who would score the most fish-downs.
Birch Aquarium: Another Living Seas Construction Update! Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-02-03 | Since breaking ground in September, we’ve been making amazing progress with Living Seas construction — especially in the last few weeks! Recently, new habitats have moved in — including the Octopus Grotto, Pier Piling, Coral and Mangroves — plus, our exhibit spaces are coming to life as our construction crew frames up the walls.Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes looks as Living Seas comes to life. This exciting new exhibition is set to open summer 2025.Visit aquarium.ucsd.edu to learn more about Birch Aquarium at Scripps - UC San Diego.
🌈 Rainbow Over The Ocean 🌈 Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-01-27 | Visit aquarium.ucsd.edu to learn more about Birch Aquarium at Scripps - UC San Diego.
🪸 Marine Munchies: Tongue Coral Edition 🪸 Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-01-24 | Tongue Coral comprises tons of tiny polyps, each with their own mouth! When food is nearby, each polyp slowly opens its mouth and uses tiny hair-like structures called cilia to help guide food toward its mouth.Visit aquarium.ucsd.edu to learn more about Birch Aquarium at Scripps - UC San Diego.
We’ve got a high-flying update on Living Seas construction! Birch Aquarium at Scripps 2025-01-15 | We recently welcomed several stunning new habitats – including a new Octopus Grotto, Pier Piling, Coral and Mangrove habitats – and moved them into place in the aquarium!Moving these massive tanks was no small feat! The process required temporarily removing the Galleria’s front windows, unloading the habitats from a truck with a forklift and even using a crane to carefully lift the largest habitats over our main gate. Once inside, they were expertly maneuvered into their final spots in the future Living Seas space.Stay tuned for more updates as Living Seas continues to take shape! This exciting new exhibition is set to open summer 2025.
