 |
The Birch Aquarium at Scripps provides ocean science education to the public through creative exhibits, programs, and activities designed to help them better understand the relevance of science to their daily lives. The Aquarium interprets research from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of the sciences used to study the earth, and inspire public support of scientific endeavor. In addition, the aquarium promotes conservation through education and research, so that people will respect and protect the marine environment. |
| The Birch Aquarium was first founded along with the original Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the years 1905-1910. At this time, there were a few aquarium tanks and shelves of preserved specimens set aside for public view. In 1910, researchers at the SIO moved to the institution's present site, purchased by the generous Scripps family. |
 |
 |
In 1992, the expanded Birch Aquarium at Scripps opened, which was designed around a central lobby with entrances to the three main areas of the aquarium: The Hall of Fishes with 33 tanks (the largest of which is 55,000 gallons), the Hall of Oceanography (probably the largest display on oceanographic sciences in the country), and an outdoor plaza with a demonstration tidepool and discovery station. |
