Scripps Expeditions

Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography have been global explorers for more than a century. The world is their laboratory.

In pursuit of new discoveries in ocean and earth sciences, many researchers undertake daring adventures in the field. They can face grueling schedules, treacherous ocean waters or calm seas, and ventures into exotic foreign lands. With a sense of wonder and determination, Scripps science teams embark on adventurous treks of global exploration, armed with a sense of the known, the unknown, and the unknowable.

The scientists return from field work, loaded with mounds of collected data or specimens, looking ahead to months or years of scientific analyses. Their goal is to further scientific understanding of the oceans and earth for the benefit of society and the environment.

We invite you to join the excitement of the journeys and voyages of Scripps explorers by reliving their field expeditions through our web excursions

Volcano Expedition to Japan
Following on from their work last year in the Mariana islands, a team of researchers are continuing their studies on the western edge

Line Island Expedition: The Rediscovery of Coral Reefs
There are almost no pristine/nearly pristine coral reefs in the world. Former reefs full of sharks, large fishes, sea turtles, and healthy corals are all but gone.

Volcano Expedition from the field in Costa Rica
Join Scripps scientists and fellow researchers from their field sites amid the active volcanoes of Costa Rica.

Volcano Expedition to the Mariana Islands: The Ins and Outs of how Earth Works
A team of researchers taking part in the National

Reading Earth History in Papua New Guinea
The journey of sediments from mountaintops to the deep sea is affected by climate change, plate tectonics, and fluctuations in sea level. These sediments

Descent to Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Join Scripps researcher, Dr. Donna Blackman and the entire scientific team, as they guide the deep submersible Alvin to probe the depths of the North Atlantic

ALIA Expedition: Samoan Seamounts
Scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Scripps Institution of Oceanography are teaming up on the Hawaiian Research Vessel Kilo Moana