OSU receives $24.8M to Expand Marine Science Center

Scientists at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon will be stretching their legs a bit more in 2018, thanks to $24.8 million in recently approved state bonding. 

The bonds will subsidize the expansion of the $50 million, 100,000 square foot facility by creating a new research building for “critical issues facing coastal communities”. The building is expected to be completed and open as early as 2018.

The Hatfield Marine Studies Institute is part of OSU’s Marine Studies Initiative, which, according to a university press release, is designed to for the education and research of marine-related issues.

As a part of the initiative, the building will represent a significant increase in the number of researchers and educators at the center, as well. OSU says that they hope to educate 500 students by 2025, and that the new expansion will triple the on-site faculty at the center.

“This new building is essential to the university’s goals of expanding education and research on marine-related issues,” said Bob Cowen, director of the Hatfield Marine Science Center. “There are so many critical issues facing coastal communities today – from economic stress tied to variable fish stocks to concerns over tsunamis, ocean acidification, rising sea levels, erosion and others.”

“Geology students may come here to study coastal erosion, oceanography students may explore sea level rise, engineers might look at options for coastal buildings that are resistant to tsunamis or tidal surge, and sociologists could lead the way on how communities respond to a disaster,” Cowen said.

The building’s location is important because it is situated on Yaquina Bay in Newport -which is about one mile from the open ocean - and will place the facility near important saltwater laboratories and other HMSC research facilities. Notably, the building and is also within the tsunami inundation zone.

“We are very much aware of the various geological hazards the Pacific Ocean presents and we choose to use the siting as an educational and design opportunity,” Cowen said. “Our focus is on life safety. We believe we can be a model for anticipating a seismic events, and for how to live safely and productively in a tsunami zone. We want to be a showcase for earthquake and tsunami preparedness.”

Researchers at Oregon State University are among the foremost in the world in the field of marine science, and a variety of other life sciences.

For example:

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded a grant of $4.7 million to Oregon State University to support its intervention program that keeps young people fit and healthy.

• The new Collaborative Life Sciences Building, a joint project of Oregon State University, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland State University, is currently under construction. The $295 million building will house additional laboratory space for cutting edge research in basic and applied science.

• Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute received a five-year, $5.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to research aging, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative problems such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

As a leading research institute with various top-rated life science research programs, Oregon State University is an excellent marketplace for the sale of laboratory supplies and biotechnologies.

This year, hundreds of prominent researchers from OSU and surrounding facilities will be looking for the latest equipment by participating in the 10^th Annual BioResearch Product Faire™ at OSU, on September 2, 2015.

This popular annual life science event is a great way to meet the leading marine scientists and other prominent researchers of Oregon State University. To learn more about participating in the best-run series of life science events on the West Coast, click below: