The Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Scripps Institution of Oceanography opens a week of anniversary events Tuesday, Sept. 15, with a free lecture and party in La Jolla.
The center, known as CMBC, turns 25 this year. Its celebration week runs through Saturday, Sept. 19, anchored by two public events: a keynote lecture Tuesday evening and a family day at Birch Aquarium that Saturday.
The centerpiece is the annual Knowlton-Jackson Lecture and 25th Anniversary Party on Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. at UC San Diego's Jeannie Auditorium, 9615 Scholars Drive North. Registration begins at 5 p.m. The event is free.
Geophysicist Marcia McNutt, former president of the National Academy of Sciences who earned her Ph.D. at Scripps, will deliver the keynote, according to UC San Diego. Scripps alumna Noelle Bowlin, a NOAA research fish biologist who leads the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations Program, will also speak.
The evening includes a performance by ResilienSEA, a project of Scripps alumna Ali Mariko Dressel, along with printmaking activities and an open house at the UC San Diego Craft Center's surfboard-shaping workshop. A garden reception follows on the lawn at Sixth College.
CMBC Director Stuart Sandin said the center has grown well beyond its campus roots. "Too often, we find that folks don't have access to reliable science to inform decision-making," Sandin said. "This is where CMBC programming and our community are invaluable."
On Saturday, Sept. 19, Birch Aquarium hosts a Community Celebration of Marine Conservation with hands-on experiences led by CMBC-affiliated researchers. Attendees who also go to the Tuesday lecture can use promo code CMBC2026 for 20% off up to six tickets at birchaquariumprograms.com.
Former Scripps faculty member Nancy Knowlton proposed the center at a Scripps planning retreat in 2001. Early funding included a $3.5 million National Science Foundation grant that helped launch its one-year professional degree program.
CMBC now counts more than 250 affiliated students and 500 alumni, according to UC San Diego.
More than 50 graduates have gone on to NOAA Sea Grant fellowships.
A related lecture series at Birch Aquarium, listed in the San Diego Union-Tribune, runs monthly through November with topics tied to CMBC's history and future. The series costs $12 for non-members and is free for Birch Aquarium members.
Upcoming community events
- Monday, Sept. 14: "Science and Solutions for Our Ocean Planet," 7 p.m., Birch Aquarium, 2300 Expedition Way. Free for members, $12 for non-members.
- Tuesday, Sept. 15: CMBC Knowlton-Jackson Lecture and 25th Anniversary Party, 5 p.m. registration, 6 p.m. program, Jeannie Auditorium, 9615 Scholars Drive North. Free.
- Saturday, Sept. 19: Community Celebration of Marine Conservation, Birch Aquarium, 2300 Expedition Way. Tickets at birchaquariumprograms.com; use code CMBC2026 for 20% off.
- Monday, Oct. 12: "Current Research, Future Impact: Student Perspectives of CMBC," 7 p.m., Birch Aquarium. Free for members, $12 for non-members.
