Marine Vertebrate Collection
One of the most comprehensive repositories of deep-sea and pelagic fish diversity.
Our Collection
The Marine Vertebrate Collection maintains approximately 2 million alcohol-preserved specimens in over 120,000 lots, representing more than 5,600 species of fishes.
Searchable Database Special CollectionsHistory
Since its beginnings in the 1940s, the Marine Vertebrate Collection has become an essential resource for understanding the diversity and evolution of marine life. Still expanding through active fieldwork and research, it continues to reflect Scripps’ long tradition of ocean exploration and scientific excellence.
Our Work
Curation
The Marine Vertebrate Collection supports research on fish diversity, evolution, ecology, and conservation. Projects include species discovery, large-scale phylogenomic analyses, population and functional genomics, and biogeographic studies across marine ecosystems.
Outreach
Marine Vertebrate Collection specimens are widely used in teaching at UC San Diego and support hands-on learning in ichthyology, marine biology, and evolution courses. The Collection also contributes to public outreach through exhibits, tours, videos and collaborations with Birch Aquarium at Scripps.
Support the Collections
Friends of the Collections support the largest and most complete university-based oceanographic collection in the world, comprised of millions of biological and geological marine specimens. This library of the ocean’s history is a resource to researchers and students all over the world.
