Scripps Institution of Oceanography

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, San Diego, California, is one of the oldest, largest and most important research centers for marine research in the world. It is located since 1907 directly on the Pacific coast above La Jolla Shores.

It was founded in 1903 by the zoology professor William Emerson Ritter as an independent research institute of the Marine Biological Association of San Diego. Knight was supported by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps (1836-1932) and her brother EW Scripps. The Old Scripps Building was created in 1909 by architect Irving Gill and is now a listed building ( a National Historic Landmark since 1982 ). In 1912, the Scripps Institution of the University of California, San Diego and then was called Scripps Institution of Biological Research.

Directors of the Institute were by Knight 1924-1936 T. Wayland Vaughan, Harald Ulrik Sverdrup 1936 to 1948, 1948 to 1951 Carl Henry Eckart, followed by Roger Revelle, 1965-1986 William Nierenberg, 1986 to 1996 Edward Frieman, 1998 to 2006 Charles Kennel and since 2006 the chemist Tony Haymet. One of the most famous employee was Charles David Keeling, who created the eponymous Keeling curve.

The Institute maintains the ships R / V Roger Revelle, R / V Melville, R / V New Horizon and R / V Robert Gordon Sproul four of its own research vessels. Furthermore, it maintains the Birch Aquarium. Worked at the Scripps Institution in 2011 over 1300 employees, including 100 faculty and 300 other scientists. The Institute has a budget of about $ 150 million ( 2011).

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography was involved in a leading position at the Ocean Drilling Program.