Birch Aquarium

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California is home to the Birch Aquarium. The mission of the Birch Aquarium is "to provide ocean science education, to interpret Scripps Institution of Oceanography research, and to promote ocean conservation." I think the link made between scientific research at the Scripps Instituion and public knowledge by the Birch Aquarium is important in understanding the local oceanic environment and its conservation. To visit the Birch Aquarium website, click here. The aquarium has important breeding programs to discourage collection of wild species, and provides a vast array of educational outreach activities such as "tidepooling with a naturalist". They are currently (end of October, Halloween) hosting a "Haunted Birch Aquarium" which looks like a lot of fun!