ERESE Workshop Charles F. Kennel, Director Scripps Institution of Oceanography UCSD

The mission of Scripps is to seek, teach, and communicate scientific understanding of the oceans, atmosphere, Earth, and other planets for the benefit of society and the environment.

Institutional Overview

Scripps Today A unique institution with breadth and depth across all Earth sciences, within a major research university Graduate school, undergraduate teaching (PhD, Masters, Bachelor) Over 400 international projects with 300+ institutions in 65 countries $140 million annual budget; mostly individual research grants to individual investigators, awarded on a competitive basis

Scripps Staffing people

Scripps: An innovator in education at all levels PhD education in virtually all Earth science disciplines Interdisciplinary programs Opportunities to work on real- world problems Formal kindergarten - 12th grade programs and informal education Executive education Mid-career professional Masters program

Observations Ships Satellites Moorings Sensors Wireless communications Models Theory Applications End-to-End Research Capabilities

Basic research Basic research is a fundamental part of SIO’s mission We don’t know where curiosity-driven investigation will lead but we know it’s essential to progress Discovery for its own sake has value and contributes to society

Applied research Connecting with other disciplines –(e.g., economics, journalism, political science, engineering, health sciences, information technology …) Earth Observation Summit, July 2003 California Energy Commission Connecting with public and non-profit sector –science-based decision support Connecting with the private sector –“triple bottom line” - economy, environment, and society

Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus are tiny organisms that account for two-thirds of the carbon dioxide "fixation" in the oceans and are at the base of the marine food web. Scripps was part of the team that decoded their genomes for the first time. Center for Marine Genomics

Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine Scripps scientists examine the biomedical potential of the world’s oceans to provide new drugs to treat cancer and infectious diseases. - Deep ocean sediments contain bacteria which produce new antibiotics -Over 4,000 strains have been discovered. - New antibiotics and anticancer agents are being isolated now The new genus Salinospora

Earth science and natural hazards Understanding how earthquakes develop and progress Wireless networks relaying data from sensors on buildings and bridges Real-time continuous monitoring locally, regionally, globally

Coastal Studies Improved understanding: Where does the water go Where does the sand go Where does the sewage go When is it safe to swim Where is it safe to build

Deep sea exploration –Biological activity in extreme environments –Technology for accessing deepest seabeds and sending back samples and data –Understanding and monitoring seafloor movement and stability Importance to offshore oil and gas exploration; natural hazards; climate change; marine food web New Insights into Plate Tectonics

Ocean Processes Understanding physical, chemical, biological characteristics of the oceans at all depths and time scales Drifting buoys and fixed moorings Argo

Climate and atmospheric science Understanding the role of clouds –reducing uncertainty in climate predictions Aerosol particles –Changing precipitation patterns, impacts on human health, agriculture, ocean productivity

Climate change is affecting rainfall patterns and water availability in California and other mountainous, snow-fed regions.

Marine Biodiversity & Conservation Documenting the extent of marine biodiversity - past and present Developing models and analytical tools for conservation planning Integrating economics, management, and policy into graduate study Teaching practitioners as well as researchers

Scripps.ucsd.edu

Going Interdisciplinary Environmental problems don’t divide neatly into disciplinary boundaries The “real world” is interdisciplinary - values, organizations, institutions, policy tools, …

Going Interdisciplinary “Interdisciplinary” at SIO has meant marine biologists talking to physical oceanographers. This program, new degree programs in marine biodiversity and conservation, the Center for Earth Observations and Applications are pushing the envelope: –Supercomputer Center, Cal(IT)2, Economics, Biology, IR/PS,NOAA, industry, Hollywood, NGOs, …

Scripps Research and Education Programs Are global Affect important sectors of society –Health –Natural hazards and public safety –Environmental quality –Biological diversity conservation Have changed in recent years to become more collaborative and accessible Require continued cultural change …

Climbing down from the Ivory Tower is scary and exciting Rewards –Greater impact –Increased funding –New ideas Risks –Distracts from “real” work –Academic reward system –Peer pressure –Fear of being misquoted –Unfamiliar territory

The Grand Convergence The convergence of earth science, modern biology, and information technology will lead to continuous awareness of earth’s systems and their interactions with human activities. We will use continuous awareness to manage our resources and environment, and our response to disasters Continuous awareness will promote integrated responses to emerging global environmental challenges Marine Biology and Ecology Information Sciences Earth Science

Education and Human Architecture The “human architecture” is the most important element of a system Teachers lay the foundation for tomorrow’s society. Relationships built and nurtured through ERESE are important elements in building the human architecture that will support the search for a sustainable relationship between society and the environment.