Scripps Collaborates with Black In Marine Science to Inspire Next Generation of Ocean Leaders

Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego recently partnered with the non-profit organization Black In Marine Science (BIMS) to celebrate its annual BIMS Week. Hosted in San Diego in December 2024, the BIMS Week conference was dedicated to celebrating Black marine scientists, while providing activities focused on science, wellness and professional development. 

This week-long event series began with a tweet in 2020 from BIMS Founder and Chief Executive Officer Tiara Moore asking, “Hey, where are the other Black marine scientists at?” Moore posted this question in an effort to highlight and amplify Black voices in the field and shed light on the lack of diversity in marine science.

This single tweet sparked an instant online community and led to the creation of BIMS, fostering connection and collaboration among Black marine scientists around the world. BIMS soon evolved beyond social media, becoming an officially endorsed activity of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. 

BIMS’ mission statement is to “celebrate Black marine scientists, spread environmental awareness and inspire the next generation of scientific thought leaders.” The organization provides a platform for Black marine scientists to share their work and access opportunities to increase diversity and inclusion in the marine science field.

Throughout BIMS Week 2024, attendees participated in workshops led by marine science experts, networking sessions, panel discussions on the latest marine science research and more. Scripps Oceanography also hosted a series of events and activities led by Scripps students, staff and faculty for BIMS Week attendees. 

The week kicked off with a keynote speech from Dawn Wright, the current chief scientist of Esri and former member of the Scripps Director’s Council. A pioneering scientist, in 1991 Wright became the first Black woman to dive to the ocean floor in the Alvin deep-sea submersible vehicle, and in 2022, Wright became the first Black person to go to Challenger Deep — the deepest-known point of the seabed of Earth. 

“BIMS Week is an opportunity for us to showcase what we are all doing in our respective fields, but also a chance to come together and experience the joy of being with one another,” said Wright. “We get to experience the excitement of learning what we are all doing in ocean policy, ocean science, ocean art, education, advocacy, equity and social justice — all issues that BIMS is currently amplifying so the timing for this conference couldn’t be better.”

BIMS Week attendees and Wright were invited to take a tour of R/V Sally Ride at the Nimitz Marine Facility. Attendees got to dive deeper into the science that takes place at sea by touring the vessel’s lab spaces and learning about its scientific instruments and state-of-the-art navigation system. 

Activities throughout the week included a Youth Night event hosted at Birch Aquarium at Scripps, featuring interactive activities, mentorship discussions and presentations aimed at inspiring young people to pursue careers in marine science. 

BIMS Week attendees also visited the Scripps campus to learn about earth, ocean, and atmospheric science research. They toured the Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier, the Scripps Oceanographic Collections, and the Hydraulics Lab facility, where they learned about the Scripps Ocean-Atmosphere Research Simulator and the Scripps Sandbox MakerSpace. 

“BIMS Week was a testament to the restorative power of community. As we offered the opportunity to engage with our campus and research facilities, we also exchanged ideas and stories allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of the intersections of Black marine scientists,” said Scripps Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Program and Events Coordinator Fernando Gonzalez. “Partnering with BIMS provided the expansion of our own formulas for joy while cultivating leadership frameworks centered around collaboration, which translates into how we show up for our future Black marine scientists. This partnership of scientists and thought leaders will continue to strengthen the global network and access to opportunity that we strive to provide, while allowing us to dream bigger for Black marine scientists.”

Visit the Scripps EDI Website to learn more about new and ongoing efforts supporting the community of Black marine scientists at Scripps.