How Two Soaked Scientists Launched 95 Years of Ocean Discovery

In 1928, two Caltech biologists rented a ramshackle pier shed in Corona del Mar to collect marine specimens. Thomas Hunt Morgan, founder of Caltech’s Division of Biology, and Albert Tyler planned to sleep there overnight, forgetting a fundamental truth about ocean tides: extreme lows produce extreme highs. They woke up drenched in Pacific seawater.

That soggy awakening sparked the creation of Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory, which marks its 95th anniversary Saturday, Aug. 2, with a celebration that reflects how a mishap evolved into one of the West Coast’s most enduring research institutions.

The laboratory, perched at the mouth of Newport Harbor, has hosted multiple Nobel laureates and breakthrough discoveries since Caltech acquired the building in 1929. William G. Kerckhoff funded the purchase of what had been the Palisades Club’s boat and bath house, transforming a recreational facility into a scientific outpost.

Today, the lab operates under Dr. Victoria Orphan, the James Irvine Professor of Environmental Science and Geology at Caltech. Its filtered seawater intake system continues to supply researchers studying Pacific Ocean ecosystems, just as it has for nearly a century.

The anniversary event, running 6 to 9 p.m. at the Corona del Mar facility, opens the usually restricted lab to the public. California State Assembly Member Diane Dixon will attend as scientists lead tours and demonstrate current research. The $95 tickets (available online or at check-in) include food, drinks and activities. Lab manager Stephen Ranson, who handles daily operations, requests RSVPs at sranson@caltech.edu.

The laboratory’s evolution mirrors changes in marine science itself. What began as Morgan’s simple specimen-collecting operation has recently expanded to include community education programs alongside cutting-edge research. The facility draws funding from Caltech’s Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, supplemented by grants, fellowships and donations.

From those two waterlogged researchers in a borrowed shack to today’s sophisticated operation, Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory remains what those founders envisioned after their unexpected swim: a permanent window into the Pacific’s mysteries.