Persons must be 18 years or over to sail aboard Scripps research vessels.
Special exception I: Individuals over 16 but under 18 years of age
Special exceptions may be made for persons over the age of 16 but under the age of 18, at the discretion of the chief scientist and with the approval of the Associate Director. Individuals must be either a UCSD employee, an official UCSD volunteer, an insured employee of another institution, or a student insured by their home institution.
UCSD Volunteer Process. To embark aboard a Scripps-operated vessel as a volunteer, individuals need to sign up as an official UCSD staff volunteer through the chief scientist's business office (if the chief scientist is from UCSD) or equivalent process (if from another institution). This status is required for insurance purposes, and must be done well in advance of sailing. Note that the Scripps Ship Scheduling Office cannot process these transactions. Additional approvals by parents/guardians and/or secondary school authorities are required by UCSD in such cases, and it is the responsibility of the individual and their sponsoring chief scientist to comply with the applicable employment rules of UCSD or other institution as appropriate. The UCSD policy on volunteers is linked here.
Individuals in this age bracket who are not employed or insured may not sail, except with prior written approval of the Associate Director, which will be granted only for the most singular and compelling reasons.
Special exception II: Individuals under 16 years of age
No person under the age of 16 years will be allowed to go to sea on a SIO ship for any purpose, except in the following special circumstances:
- Emergency involving risk to life (rescue at sea, evacuation from an unsafe port, etc.), at the discretion of the Master of the vessel.
- Special situations in which a specific named individual under age 16 brings essential scientific qualifications to the work of the scientific party, or brings extraordinary benefit to SIO by being present on the ship. Each such case must be approved individually and in advance by the Associate Director.
Bruce Appelgate
Associate Director, SIO
Reviewed: 01 February 2016
Revised: 25 June 2013