Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Warning sign at Imperial Beach, Calif. Photo: Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego

A new tool from @scrippsocean.bsky.social forecasts sewage contamination at beaches in the San Diego-Tijuana border region up to five days in advance—helping you avoid health risks and plan safer days by the water. ➡️ bit.ly/3IT740A

⚠️ Tsunamis can be a series of powerful surges capable of creating dangerous currents for hours. Stay alert and keep away from the beach and shoreline until officials give the all-clear.

🌏 USGS Earthquake information: on.doi.gov/4faXyBW
🌊 NOAA Tsunami information: bit.ly/49qPWZ5

"This was the largest earthquake since 2011, the sixth largest on record globally," said Alice Gabriel (@inseismoland.bsky.social), a seismologist with @igpp.bsky.social at Scripps Oceanography. "The first tsunami wave reached La Jolla Shores around 1:45 a.m., registering less than half a foot."

🚨 Tsunami Update 🚨

Last night's #tsunami advisory following a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula has been lifted, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. 🧵⬇️

Image: Epicenter and shaking contours of the magnitude 8.8 Kamchatka earthquake (USGS)

ALERTCalifornia Awarded 2025 Special Achievement in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) by Esri University of California San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia program was awarded a Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) award from Esri, for innovation in the field of GIS software and technology, geospatial anal...

We are proud to announce that we received a 2025 Esri Special Achievement in GIS award, which recognizes ALERTCalifornia’s layer that allows users to incorporate live camera views into maps, enhancing situational awareness before, during, and after natural disasters. Learn more: bit.ly/4oboYvJ

2️⃣ janthina specimens

Swipe through the photos to get a better look at these cool creatures, and thanks to Anya for these incredible images!

🟣 Photo 1: 2️⃣ Janthina specimens
🐌 Photo 2: A close-up of the Janthina egg sacs attached to their bubble raft
🍼 Photo 3: Protoconchs, or embryonic or larval shells, of baby Janthina

Protoconchs, or embryonic or larval shells, of baby janthina

These marine snails are known for their purple shells & ability to float at the ocean’s surface using a natural "bubble raft." Janthina are typically found in sub-tropical to tropical seas, and their stranding along the SoCal coast is often linked to warmer offshore waters flowing toward the shore.

A close-up of the janthina egg sacs attached to their bubble raft

Take a peek under the microscope, courtesy of Scripps Oceanography PhD candidate Anya Stajner! 🔬🐚

So, what exactly are we looking at? These violet sea snails, also known as Janthina, are a rare species of pelagic sea snail that recently washed up on the beach in La Jolla. 🧵⬇️

Thank you so much for your strong support for ocean science and research! Investing in ocean science keeps us strong, safe, and ahead of the curve.

Brendan Talwar and Chris Malinowski

🦈❓You've got #shark questions, and these shark experts have answers!

Join Scripps Oceanography postdoc Brendan Talwar & Ocean First Institute's Chris Malinowski to learn about shark behavior, conservation strategies & more in this r/askscience AMA: bit.ly/44LyCgW
#SharkWeek

Jehad Almaliti in the lab

He aims to develop novel potent and selective proteasome inhibitors that will specifically kill brain cancer in children. This innovative approach should result in the discovery of new clinical leads for treating brain cancers in children.

St. Baldrick's Grants | Childhood Cancer Research Funding Find St. Baldrick's Grants in your area funding lifesaving research.

Funding for a cure! 🔬 🧪

Jehad Almaliti, a visiting associate researcher with the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine at Scripps Oceanography, received a $115,000 grant from the St. Baldrick's Foundation to fund his work related to childhood cancer research.

Learn more. ⬇️

New cameras online: ALERTCalifornia's Martis Peak 1 & 2 are located at the historic Martis Peak Lookout (built 1914). The cameras provide views of northern Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe NF. Our cameras support lookout staff and provide monitoring off-season. Live: bit.ly/46nFceQ 📸: nhlr.org

🦈 Let's learn about #LeopardSharks! Our friend Matt from
@birchaquarium.bsky.social dives into the fascinating world of leopard sharks (and the waters of La Jolla, literally) & shares why they love to frequent the waters near Scripps Oceanography.

Shark Summer info: bit.ly/4nYgt7g

🤔How does defunding #oceanscience jeopardize US ntl security? Hear from #WHOI's @pdemenocal.bsky.social, @scrippsocean.bsky.social Dir. Margaret Leinen + Ret. Admiral John Richardson in @washingtonpost.com: go.whoi.edu/ocean-science-national-security

#TogetherforScience @savensf.bsky.social

Scripps Oceanography Researchers Unveil User-Friendly Tool to Alert Beachgoers to Contamination Haga clic aquí para leer en español Scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography present a new tool the public can use to understand sewage contamination levels at beaches from Cor...

⚠️ A tool developed by Scripps scientists helps the public understand sewage contamination levels at beaches from Coronado to Playas de Tijuana, as well as potential risks for swimmers. Learn more about the Pathogen Forecast Model hosted by the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System. ⬇️

Opinion | Why U.S. dominance at sea is shrinking The U.S. still has an advantage on the waves, but ocean science needs more — not less — investment.

🌊 Investing in ocean science positions the U.S. as a leader in resilience and national security. Scripps' Margaret Leinen joins @whoi.edu's @pdemenocal.bsky.social & retired Navy admiral John Richardson to advocate for funding @noaa.gov, NSF & US Navy Research.

Read the @washingtonpost.com Op-Ed. ⬇️

Exquisite, rarely seen purple sea snails ride warm currents to San Diego A UC San Diego marine snail expert found them while walking her dog on the beach at La Jolla Shores.

🟣 🐌 🌊 🫧 = A super rare janthina, violet sea snail, or bubble raft snail!

These cool creatures were recently spotted on San Diego beaches, so the @sandiegouniontribune.com sought to learn more about them from Scripps PhD candidate Anya Stajner. ⬇️
www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/07/16/e...

Meenakshi Wadhwa Selected as Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences at UC San Diego and 12th Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego today announced the appointment of Meenakshi Wadhwa to the position of Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences, Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Dean...

Learn more about Wadhwa, her impressive career and what her role at Scripps Oceanography will entail.

Wadhwa is an esteemed planetary scientist and educator who previously served as the director at the School of Earth and Space Exploration at @arizonastateuni.bsky.social. She’s also the Principal Scientist for the NASA Mars Sample Return Program.

Meenakshi Wadhwa, courtesy of ASU News

We are thrilled to announce that Meenakshi Wadhwa will serve as the Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences, Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Dean of the School of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at @ucsandiego.bsky.social!

🌊 We can add 'peacebuilder' to our ocean's impressive resume! A new paper coauthored by Scripps oceanographer Vladimir Ryabinin explores how ocean research and management can support both sustainability and global peace. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Time-lapse from 7/15 of the start and growth of the #FayFire in Kern County as seen from ALERTCalifornia's Fay Ranch Rd 2 camera. Look to Kern County Fire Department and Sequoia National Forest for incident updates. See conditions live: bit.ly/4eOLxSs

💯

Two exceptional Scripps Oceanography scientists are finalists in @sandiegomag.bsky.social's Celebrating Women awards! @zambianseagull.bsky.social is nominated for the STEM-Pioneer award and @aminaschartup.bsky.social is nominated for the STEM-Rising Star award!

Vote here: cw.sdmag.com/stem

Study Reveals how Deep Ocean Currents Shape Microbial Life across South Pacific A groundbreaking study in the journal Science, has unveiled how deep ocean currents—known as global overturning circulation—play a pivotal role in shaping the diversity and function of microbial life ...

🌊 ↪️↩️ Deep ocean currents play a pivotal role in shaping the diversity and function of microbial life across the South Pacific Ocean, according to a groundbreaking study led by @jcvi.org and Scripps Oceanography scientists. More on the study published by @science.org. ⬇️

How do I sign up for the ShakeAlert® Earthquake Early Warning System? How do I sign up to receive ShakeAlert®-powered Alerts on my phone?ProviderTypeApple StoreGoogle PlayLinkStatesUSGS/FEMAWireless Emergency AlertsN/AFEMA | WEACA/OR/WAMyShakeTMMobile AppY/YMyShakeCA/OR...

Be prepared, not scared! Enroll in earthquake early warning alerts here: on.doi.gov/44us7yP

🌍 Scripps seismologists have been monitoring an earthquake swarm that started on July 11. This new swarm is located in the same region as the previous 2005 and 2021 swarms. The spatial footprint of the sequence of quakes in each swarm is confined to a relatively small area.
🗺️: @debi-kilb.bsky.social

StartBlue Ocean Enterprise Accelerator Applications Open Apply by July 31

Do you have an ocean-based startup that supports the #BlueEconomy? 🌊 Apply to be a part of @ucsandiego.bsky.social's StartBlue Ocean Enterprise Accelerator, a program that supports startups looking to make waves in ocean innovation! Learn more and apply. ⬇️ startblue.fillout.com/2025applicat...

🎓 The next generation of scientists who will lead the search for solutions
💊 New cures & treatments for diseases
⚠️ Cutting-edge technology that ensures U.S. national security
🌾 Advances in agriculture that help farmers feed the nation
📈 Good jobs in innovative industries that drive economic growth