The Semmens Lab at Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Nice piece in PNAS by Amalia Almada that puts into context our recent McGill et al. 2024 paper on DDT ocean ecosystem modeling in the SoCal region.

The legacy of DDT lives on in the Southern California Bight | PNAS The legacy of DDT lives on in the Southern California Bight

Look at our Max go! Maximum effort!!

🌫️ It was a foggy morning the day R/V Sally Ride departed on a groundbreaking journey to explore the rich history of Southern California's coasts and fisheries. Led by Scripps Oceanography postdoctoral scholar Margaret Morris and PhD student Max Titcomb, the crew is collecting sediment cores from areas likely containing ancient soils to explore, in part, how long-term population dynamics of sardine and anchovy species are linked to variations in planktonic communities. 🐟 This research seeks to illuminate the role of prey availability and food web structure in driving fish abundance.

🚢 This expedition is made possible by the University of California UC Ship Funds Program, which provides significant support to enable graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral researchers and early-career faculty to pursue independent research and instruction at sea aboard Scripps ships. Sail over to this link to learn more about the program: https://scripps.ucsd.edu/ships/uc-ship-funds-program

📸: Bruce Appelgate, associate director of ship operations and marine technical support at Scripps Oceanography

75 years, and more relevant than ever!

CalCOFI at 75 Image caption: Then-student Amanda Netburn recovers an Oozeki midwater trawl net used to collect juvenile fishes from surface waters on a 2010 CalCOFI expedition. Comparing trawl catch to acoustic data is a way to verify surveys of marine life populations. Credit: James Wilkinson.Seventy-five years....

Latest lab science out now!

Study Finds Pattern in DDT Contamination Among Fish off Southern California The toxic pesticide DDT was dumped into the ocean off Southern California more than 50 years ago by the Montrose Chemical Corporation, and it is still contaminating fish and sediments in the region decades later, according to researchers.

Some of us went and saw the oar fish. And got some samples for toxin analysis!

Lab science on the largest animal to ever haunt this planet? Check.

Blue whales are closer to San Diego's shore than usual and scientists are taking advantage Blue whales were swimming off San Diego’s coastline earlier this year and closer to shore, an atypical pattern that has allowed marine researchers to study the world’s largest animal up close and has given whale watchers some extraordinary viewing experiences.

Look at Jack! Is there any big animal he WONT wrangle?

So slay Toni!

Triton Innovation Challenge Spotlights Trailblazing Environmental Solutions Teams of UC San Diego engineers, physicians, biologists and entrepreneurs recently showcased their environmentally focused technologies at the 11th annual Triton Innovation Challenge.

Kiirah Green, incoming PhD student... tune in, and find out more!

We are counting down the days to the 2024 Oceans for All webinar, coming up next Thursday, May 9. 🗓️ This free webinar, Oceans for All: Exploring Diverse Experience in Marine Conservation, celebrates the voices and experiences of those who are making an impact in ocean conservation. 🌊

Today we're introducing Oceans for All panelist Kiirah Green. 👋 Kiirah is a laboratory assistant at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. She is passionate about exploring the mysterious and uncharted habitats of the deep sea. She conducted extensive research including studying Jamaican coral reef ecology and the physiology of male fiddler crabs, and has described 7 new species of deep-sea and shallow water worms! 🦀

To hear more from Kiirah, mark your calendar and join us on Thursday, May 9 at 8pm ET for the Oceans for All webinar. Visit www.REEF.org/fishinars to sign up today, and stay tuned to our social media for more panelist spotlights!

https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/scripps-student-spotlight-jack-elstner

Scripps Student Spotlight: Jack Elstner Jack Elstner is a third-year PhD student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, where he is studying biological oceanography and fisheries science. Originally from Annapolis, Md., Elstner attended Cornell University, receiving a bachelor’s degree in earth and atmospheric sciences ...

Citizens of the world- do science!

Another successful Grouper Moon! This year, with all new comms equipment for the live underwater feed with Dr. Semmens! Thanks Ocean Technology Systems!