Scripps Institution of Oceanography - Birch Aquarium at Scripps

Birch Aquarium At Scripps

The mission of the Birch Aquarium at Scripps is:

• to provide ocean science education
• to interpret Scripps research
• to promote ocean conservation

For more than a century, generations of families have discovered the ocean world through exhibits and educational programs of the aquarium-museum associated with Scripps Institution of Oceanography. From modest displays at the turn-of-the-century to magnificent habitats in the present, the role of the aquarium in Scripps Oceanography's legacy is important. Today, more than 430,000 people visit Birch Aquarium at Scripps each year, including 40,000 local school children. It was named Best Museum in the San Diego A-List for 2011 & 2012.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps features a number of exhibits and hands-on activities. These include:

• The Hall of Fishes with more than 60 tanks of Pacific fishes and invertebrates; the largest habitat is a 70,000-gallon kelp forest.
• Scripps Explorers Gallery, featuring cutting-edge discoveries of Scripps explorers in climate, earth, and ocean sciences through interactive exhibits.
• Preuss Tide-Pool Plaza, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with living tide pools for discovery
• Smargon Courtyard, also overlooking coastal bluffs, features a 13,000-gallon shark reef tank and Boundless Energy, an outdoor playground that explores renewable energy innovations.

The aquarium's hilltop site provides a spectacular overview of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus and the Pacific Ocean.