One decade ago, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla embarked on what its leaders called a “new quest” for its second century of exploration.

The institution, part of UC San Diego, was nearing its 100th anniversary, and the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation was designed to expand its scope by addressing threats such as pollution, overfishing and climate change. The idea was to forge new links with faculty and students in economics and other social sciences while remaining rooted in biological and ecological sciences.

At the time, marine ecologist Nancy Knowlton envisioned a center that would not only make scientific discoveries, but contribute to solutions.

“I’ve spent my entire career studying biodiversity on the one hand and watching the health of marine ecosystems decline on the other. By the time I got to Scripps in 1998, I was really inspired to do something to bring these two themes together,” said Knowlton, now the Sant Chair of Marine Science at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. “Scripps was the perfect place to do this because it had — and has — such strength in both of these areas. More than anything, (the center) has provided the glue that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts.”

As they mark the 10th anniversary with lectures this week by noted scientists, Scripps officials said the center has exceeded expectations.

“From the coast of California to Baja California to uninhabited islands in the Central Pacific Ocean, (center) scientists are making discoveries important not only for science but for the global community,” Scripps said in a press release. “CMBC-trained students continue to forge ahead with new science and contribute to marine conservation from positions in state and federal government and non-governmental organizations.”

Center director Lisa Levin said the next decade will involve engaging more members of the business and conservation communities, promoting ocean literacy and stewardship principles, and increasing the center’s international reach.

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