Science with added salt
See behind the scenes as Marine Science Day returns to Newport
If learning about ocean research floats your boat or if you would like to tour an actual research boat, get behind the scenes at Newport’s Hatfield Marine Science Center during Marine Science Day this Saturday, April 13.
The free, family-friendly event showcases the diverse marine research on the Hatfield campus, operated by Oregon State University. This year's theme is "Our Ocean, Our Future," and the activities and exhibits will highlight the technology researchers use to better understand and monitor the ocean.
More than three dozen hands-on exhibits will feature Hatfield-based scientists who work with state and federal programs. These exhibits showcase research on marine birds and mammals, aquaculture, ocean noise and fisheries. Visitors can learn about ocean engineering, touch crabs and sea stars, look at plankton under microscopes, explore the Hatfield Visitor Center and climb aboard the R/V Kalipi, a 29-foot aluminum vessel used in nearshore research.
The keynote talk will be presented by speakers K.C. Bierlich and Clara Bird from the Marine Mammal Institute's Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab. They will discuss how they use drones as a non-invasive method to study the morphology and health of baleen whales. Both speakers have extensive experience using drone technology to study Antarctic minke whales, humpback whales and Adelie penguins.
Behind-the-scenes tours were expanded due to last year's overwhelming interest, resulting in a schedule that includes Hatfield's Seawater System tours, two Yaquina Estuary trail tours, Vertical Tsunami Evacuation tours and an aquaculture tour. All tours are free, and tickets are given on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are available in the courtyard area in the Welcome Tent.
The event will also feature representatives from Oregon State University, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Agriculture.
The Hatfield Visitor Center will also be free and open to visitors all day. Hatfield Marine Science Center is located at 2030 SE Marine Science Drive in Newport. For more information, go to hmsc.oregonstate.edu/marine-science-day.
Schedule
• 10:30 and 11:30 am — Hatfield's Seawater System Tours
Limit 15 people per tour, 45 minutes.
• 10:30 and 11:45 am — Vertical Tsunami Evacuation Tours
Limit 20 people per tour, 45 minutes.
• 11 am — Aquaculture Tour
20 people per tour, 1 hour.
• 11 am — Yaquina Estuary Trail Tour
Two groups simultaneously touring.
Limit 20 people per group, 1 hour.
• 1 pm — Keynote talk by speakers K.C. Bierlich and Clara Bird from the Marine Mammal Institute's Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab.
Carem Ford Phillips Auditorium in the Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building.