Scripps Institution of Oceanography

✅ Degrees acquired
🎓 Caps tossed
❓ What's next for the Scripps Oceanography Class of 2026?

We caught up with a few stellar recent graduates to learn more about their journeys after crossing the Commencement stage. Their next chapters include:

🪸 Advancing coral reef restoration
🌤️ Tackling climate challenges
🐟 Building marine technology solutions
🌎 Pursuing PhDs at leading institutions
🔬 Supporting NOAA Fisheries Service research and conservation efforts

Learn more about what they're up to. ⤵️

Diving into What's Next for the Class of 2026 UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography honored more than 200 graduating students this month for their outstanding academic achievements at this year’s Scripps Recognition Ceremonies. The graduates’ time at Scripps Institution of Oceanography equipped them with an array of expertise...

🐾 Cory Lee, a fourth-year undergraduate student studying environmental science as part of the Environmental Systems (ESYS) Program at Scripps Oceanography, focuses his research on animal abundance in the face of climate change.

Through his internship at the San Diego River Park Foundation, Cory has been researching human effects on the frequency of coyote sightings in San Diego County natural preserves. 🏞️ These underappreciated canines are vital members of the food chain, and Cory is doing his part to ensure the safety and conservation of the Coyote population in San Diego and beyond. 🐾

Learn more about Cory and his time at Scripps: https://bit.ly/4eyW0D7

🎶 The ocean is alive with the sound of whale songs 🎶

🐋 Corinne Pickering, a first-year master's student in the Environmental Acoustics Lab at Scripps Oceanography, and Océane Boulais, a fourth-year PhD candidate also in the Environmental Acoustics Lab, recently teamed up with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary partners in Maui to successfully deploy underwater "listening stations." They also helped tag humpback whales and gathered new data on where these giants go—and even when they're singing.

📡 This crucial data is helping scientists learn more about how humpback whales move, communicate and use Hawaiian waters that can help protect these incredible animals for generations to come.

Learn more about their work here: https://bit.ly/4fGijI1

🎓Let those caps fly, graduates!

Today, we proudly celebrated more than 200 graduating students at the Scripps Recognition Ceremonies, honoring the hard work and dedication of scholars in the fields of earth, ocean, and atmospheric science, marine biodiversity and conservation, climate science and more.

➡️ Swipe through the gallery to get a look at some of the festivities!

🌎 Congratulations to the Class of 2026! We can't wait to see how you change the world.

🔎 🌊 Can our seafloor help tell scientists the story of one of the most pivotal chapters in human history?

Scripps Oceanography researchers joined a UNESCO-led international mission to investigate Villa La Isabela in the Dominican Republic—the first European settlement in the Americas and a site linked to the voyages of Christopher Columbus.

Using marine archaeology, sediment analysis, historical records, geophysical technology and local knowledge, the team is working to reconstruct what this coastline looked like more than 500 years ago and uncover clues hidden beneath the seafloor.

But this mission isn’t just about the past. Rising seas, stronger storms and coastal change are threatening irreplaceable cultural heritage around the world. By studying how landscapes have changed over centuries, researchers are helping develop strategies to protect these important sites for future generations.

"If we want to know where the lived spaces or the ships might be, we first have to rebuild where the coast was,” said project member Isabel Rivera-Collazo, director of the Scripps Center for Marine Archaeology and a professor with a joint appointment at Scripps Oceanography and the Department of Anthropology at UC San Diego. “Over time, rivers have deposited sediments that have buried those remains; that’s why they won’t necessarily be visible on the seafloor surface.”

Dive in to learn more. ⤵️

Scripps Archaeologists Join UNESCO Mission to La Isabela, First Columbus Settlement in Americas Archaeologists from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography joined a UNESCO-led project to explore Villa La Isabela, the settlement that defined how the conquest of the Americas would look, and a location thought to contain remnants of ships associated with the expeditions of Christophe...

🎓 As an undergraduate at Scripps Oceanography, Edgar Ramirez Manriquez found his passion through hands-on fieldwork, real-world science and a deeper understanding of how communities and the environment are connected.

Today, he’s an environmental planner with the , helping guide decisions on infrastructure, land use and public projects through a science-based lens. 🚲🌿

Now, Edgar is coming full circle, returning to Scripps as the alumni commencement speaker for the 2026 Undergraduate Recognition Ceremony.

His advice for students? Build community, seek mentors and stay curious. The connections you make can shape your path in ways you never expect.

Head to this link to learn more about Edgar, his time at Scripps in the environmental systems program, and what he loves most about his job: https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/edgar-ramirez-manriquez-shaping-san-diegos-future