2003, Oceanography 16(3):60–66, http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2003.32

A Century of Phytoplankton Research at Scripps

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Author

Peter J.S. Franks | Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, California, USA

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First Paragraphs

Over the past 100 years Scripps Institution of Oceanography has been a center for plankton research. Its reputation has waxed and waned depending largely on the scientists present, and their ability to incorporate new technologies, collect and interpret new data, and synthesize and disseminate their results. The study of marine phytoplankton has always been limited by the technologies available to gather and analyze samples. It is not surprising then that the development of technology and evolution of ideas at Scripps has mirrored, and often driven, the changes in the oceanographic community as a whole.

Here I trace some developments in phytoplankton research at Scripps, concentrating first on the tools, then on the concepts. My review is by no means exhaustive, for I have said embarrassingly little or nothing about the work and lives of many extraordinary scientists. Still, I hope that this review will give a flavor of the changes in the field, from the time of a "sheltered local marine station" to the present.

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Full Article

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Citation

Franks, P.J.S. 2003. A century of phytoplankton research at Scripps. Oceanography 16(3):60–66, http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2003.32.

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