In 1903, the George H. Scripps Memorial Marine Biological Laboratory was founded (now Scripps Institution of Oceanography) in La Jolla, California. Research at Scripps encompasses physical, chemical, biological, geological, and geophysical studies.

Ongoing investigations include the topography and composition of the seafloor, waves and currents, and the interchanges between the oceans and atmosphere. Scripps’s research ships are used in investigations throughout the world’s oceans.