Hatfield Marine Science Center
Campus on Yaquina Bay
Map
General information
LocationLincoln County, Oregon
CountryUnited States
Coordinates44°37′09″N 124°02′44″W / 44.61917°N 124.04556°W / 44.61917; -124.04556[1]
Opened1965
Website
Hatfield Marine Science Center
Map

The Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) is a marine science research and education center next to Yaquina Bay of the Pacific Ocean in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is operated by Oregon State University in cooperation with five state and federal agencies co-located on site. Named after Mark Hatfield, a former U.S. Senator from Oregon,[2] the HMSC occupies a 49-acre (20 ha) site in Newport.[3]

History

The Hatfield Marine Science Center was opened in 1965. The center was preceded by the Yaquina Bay Fisheries Laboratory, which was established in 1939 on the opposite side of Yaquina Bay.[4]

After several years of development,[5][6][7] the Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building (MSB) was completed in summer 2020.[8] The building hosts new office and laboratory space, a 250-seat auditorium and a cafe.[8][9] The building provides a tsunami evacuation point for more than 900 people, including local residents, and it is designed to withstand a 9+ magnitude earthquake and an XXL tsunami event.[8][9]

Organization

More than 300 people work at the HMSC, including Oregon State University faculty, graduate students, researchers, and staff from agencies including Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).[10] NOAA employees at the HMSC are affiliated with the Alaska Fisheries Science Center,[11] Northwest Fisheries Science Center, or the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, all of which are headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Visitor Center

The Newmas submarine outside the HMSC Visitor Center

The Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center is the public education wing of the HMSC. The visitor center's exhibits focus on marine species, marine research, and the coastal environment.[12] The visitor center offers public programs and tours and is open year-round.[13] Admission is by donation.[13]

Live marine animals on display include a Giant Pacific octopus.[14] The octopus can be viewed remotely through the live HMSC OctoCam. Other exhibits focus on weather, tsunami, commercial fishing, ocean resource management, microscopic sea life, and tide-pool creatures and habitats.[14] The Newmas, a locally built, 13 foot two-person submarine is on display outside the visitor center.[15]

Education

Undergraduate and graduate students study at HMSC.[16] The newly built Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building has been proposed to host year-round body of 500 undergraduate students.[5][6][7]

Research Partnerships

An OSU marine technician prepares a surface mooring

HMSC hosts multiple research partnerships between Oregon State University and external organizations.[17]

The Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Studies (CIMRS) conducts interdisciplinary research covering fisheries science, aquaculture, marine ecosystems and climate, oceanography, geology, acoustics and marine-resource technology. In addition to HMSC employees, CIMRS involves staff from NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, and Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.

The Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station (COMES) is an agricultural research station dedicated to research and development for Oregon’s fishing, aquaculture and seafood, and helps to facilitate Oregon State University's service as a land-grant university for coastal communities.[18] COMES is the largest of 12 branch agricultural research stations in Oregon. COMES is also hosted at the Seafood Research & Education Center in Astoria.

The Marine Mammal Institute (MMI) focuses on research on marine mammals, incorporating research on ecology, genetics, veterinary medicine, engineering, aquaculture, and communications.

The Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) is a collaboration between Oregon State University and the University of Washington, and was founded with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. It is one of three Marine Renewable Energy centers for Oregon State University, with research focused on wave and tidal energy.

The Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS) is a collaboration between Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which hosts oceanographic monitoring data collected at Yaquina Bay.

Research fleet

R/V Oceanus at dock in San Francisco

The OSU College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences operates two research vessels out of the home port adjacent to the center. In addition, the NOAA Marine Operations Center-Pacific (MOC-P), adjacent to HMSC, is also the home port for the NOAAS Bell M. Shimada and the NOAAS Rainier. These research vessels are frequently used by HMSC staff.

Current vessels

R/V Yaquina at sea

Retired vessels

People

HMSC researchers talk to an albacore fisherman in Newport

See also: List of Oregon State University faculty and staff

Directors

Notable faculty and staff (past and present)

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. May 22, 1986. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  2. ^ "A Message from Senator Hatfield". Friends of the Hatfield Marine Sciences Center, Oregon State University. 2003. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2011.
  3. ^ "Hatfield Marine Science Center: Strategic Plan" (PDF). Oregon State University. December 2006. p. 4. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  4. ^ "Alaska Fisheries Science Center: Fisheries Behavioral Ecology Program". Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center. July 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Marine Studies Academic Building". Oregon State University. 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  6. ^ a b "With new building, Oregon State wants its Newport campus to come out of its shell". Oregon Live. February 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Theen, Andrew (23 February 2018). "OSU boosting its Newport campus with marine studies center". Seattle Times. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  8. ^ a b c "Marine Studies Academic Building". Oregon State University. November 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Marine Studies Building". Oregon State University. November 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  10. ^ Killen, John (September 5, 2009). "Woods Hole of the West? That's what Newport hopes to become". Oregon Live LLC. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  11. ^ "Alaska Fisheries Science Center: Fisheries Behavioral Ecology Program". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. March 27, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  12. ^ "Hatfield Marine Science Center Visitor Center: About Us". Oregon State University. Archived from the original on March 6, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  13. ^ a b "Visit". Oregon State University. 2011. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  14. ^ a b "Exhibits and Events". Oregon State University. 2011. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  15. ^ Bacon, Larry (17 October 1999). "Yellow Submarine' Resurfaces To Become Ore. Museum Exhibit". Seattle Times. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  16. ^ "Academic Program Manager's Message". Oregon State University. 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  17. ^ "Research Partnerships". Hatfield Marine Science Center. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  18. ^ "Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station (COMES)". Oregon State University. 2005. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2008.
  19. ^ a b c d Oregon State University (27 August 2018). "OSU to name new research ship Taani, which means "offshore"". Oregon State University. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  20. ^ College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University (August 2018). "Regional Class Research Vessel (RCRV)". Oregon State University. Retrieved 9 July 2019.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University (January 2012). "R/V Oceanus". Oregon State University. Retrieved 9 July 2019.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ a b News and Research Communications, Oregon State University (January 17, 2012). "OSU To Retire One Research Vessel, Take Over Operation Of Another". Oregon State University. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  23. ^ "R/V Elakha". Oregon State University. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  24. ^ "R/V Wecoma". Oregon State University. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  25. ^ Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University (2019). "Bob Cowen, Director 2013–Present". Oregon State University. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  26. ^ Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University (2019). "George Boehlert, Director 2002 - 2012". Oregon State University. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  27. ^ Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University (2019). "Lavern Weber, Director 1977 - 2002". Oregon State University. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  28. ^ Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University (2019). "John Byrne, Director 1972 - 1977". Oregon State University. Retrieved 9 July 2019.

External links

Oregon State University
Zoos of Oregon
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