The research done at Scripps Institution of Oceanography is inexorably linked to society, and has the potential to set the foundation for policies proposed by our leaders and decision makers. The Scripps Science Policy Discussion Group aims to engage students, staff, and faculty at SIO and UC San Diego in meaningful conversation about science policy and the intersection of science and policy. Fostering these discussions in our research community will allow us to bridge the gap between research and policy decisions, as well as providing inspiring new paradigms for our current work. For more information, please see our website: https://scripps.ucsd.edu/projects/sioscipol/ This week, our discussion lead will be Dr. Mark Merrifield.