Oregon
Oregon Institute of Marine Biology
The University of Oregon's Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB) is located in Charleston, Oregon at the mouth of Coos Bay. OIMB provides opportunities for undergraduates and supports the marine biology major program of the Department of Biology. Students in the graduate program are in residence year round. The Institute provides access to diverse marine habitats of the Oregon coast, has modern facilities for research, and housing and dining facilities for students, researchers and visiting faculty and groups. Contact: Coral Gehrke
Hatfield Marine Science Center
Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) is located on a 49-acre site on Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon. HMSC includes OSU researchers, students, or faculty from five colleges and more than ten departments, and serves as home to several University research programs. Our onsite partners include seven state and federal agency activities involved in research and management of the marine environment, and we work closely with the local communities, including the fishing industry. Our Visitor Center is a key site for public education, and our education partners include Oregon Coast Community College and the adjacent Oregon Coast Aquarium. College education programs cover a broad range of marine and coastal topics. On-site housing is available for students and visiting faculty. Contact: Shawn Rowe
Oregon Coast Aquarium
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a private, not-for-profit aquatic and marine science educational facility offering a fun and interesting way to learn about Oregon’s unique coastal ecosystem. The Aquarium is dedicated to teaching marine wildlife and ocean preservation through responsible management and exhibition of marine life. Our objectives are to develop and pursue conservation, education and research programs of local and global significance; to foster an awareness and appreciation of Oregon’s coastal environment, and the interdependence of our global ecosystem; and to serve as a community resource and recreational center. See, touch, learn, and discover at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, an adventure you’ll never forget. As an American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) accredited institution, the Oregon Coast Aquarium is dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and a better future for all living things. Contact: Kerry Carlin-Morgan
South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (South Slough NERR) is a 4,771 acre natural area located in the Coos estuary on the south coast of Oregon. The Reserve was designated in 1974 at the first unit of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS), a network of estuarine habitats protected and managed for the purposes of long-term research, education, and coastal stewardship. South Slough NERR's mission is to improve the understanding and stewardship of Pacific Northwest estuaries and coastal watersheds. South Slough NERR encompasses a mixture of open water channels, tidal and freshwater wetlands, riparian areas, and forested uplands. The Reserve supports and coordinates research, education, and stewardship programs which serve to enhance a scientific and public understanding of estuaries and contribute to improved estuarine management. Over the past 30 years, South Slough NERR has grown in the depth and scope of its programs and developed facilities to meet the needs of visitors and staff. Contact: Tom Gaskill
Oregon Community Colleges
Washington
Shannon Point Marine Center
The mission of the Shannon Point Marine Center (SPMC), Western Washington University, is to support and promote academic programs at the University related to the marine sciences. In addition to supporting formal courses both at the marine center and on the main campus, we work to promote a better understanding of local marine environments and living resources through research. We also provide innovative educational programs for undergraduates, and support research by students and scientists from the University, the region, the nation, and the world. Contact: Paul Dinnel
California
Humboldt State University Marine Laboratory
The Humboldt State University Marine Lab opened in 1965 and was established to provide a center for marine and environmental science teaching and research for the students and faculty of the College of Natural Resources and Sciences at Humboldt State University. Located on a bluff that overlooks the Pacific Ocean in Trinidad, California, about 12 miles north of the main HSU campus, the HSU Marine Lab provides ready access to the local marine environments of rocky shorelines, sandy beach and offshore kelp beds. This dramatic coastline of California remains one of the most pristine natural areas of the state. The lab is well equipped to support both teaching and research projects on the marine life and the ocean environments and has an on-going outreach function supported through its marine naturalist program. A new presence at the marine lab is NOAA Fisheries scientist Dr. Eric Bjorkstedt who is heading up the PACOOS fisheries/oceanography project. Contact: David Hankin
Hawai'i
Kewalo Marine Laboratory
The mission of the Kewalo Marine Laboratory, University of Hawai'i, is to support the investigation of fundamental questions in biology using the rich diversity of animals, plants and microorganisms present in the Hawaiian near-shore marine environment. It fulfills this mission by providing resident and visiting biological scientists with optimal conditions for maintaining marine organisms in a healthy state while they are utilized as models for investigation of a broad spectrum of questions in molecular, cellular, developmental and evolutionary biology. The marine life of Hawai'i and the Pacific Islands reflects a rich phylogenetic and biological diversity, and, due to the relative isolation of the archipelago, also provides unique opportunities for the study of speciation, biogeographic distribution and population genetics of coastal marine organisms. The laboratory also functions importantly in training students at all levels, from undergraduate to postdoctoral, in methods and research areas relevant to the faculty's expertise in marine animal development, ecology and conservation. Contact: Mike Hadfield
