Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) and San Jose State University has been awarded funding to conduct a feasibility study for an academic village that will improve the capacity for researchers, graduate and undergraduate students, STEM education, and resource managers in marine science. MLML serves as the graduate program in Marine Science for a consortium of seven California State Universities in central California. MLML does not have available resources for visiting researchers/students or meeting/lab space for non-MLML researchers. The collegial and academic mission of MLML suffers from this ability to provide a dynamic location where collaboration, discussion, and interaction can occur. To seek information on the needed resources from the community of potential stakeholders (central California Universities and marine institutions, resource managers, precollege educational institutions) we will develop a task force, conduct interviews with stakeholders, and develop a list of infrastructural needs to accomplish our goal. The primary goal is a clear vision of the resources needed to provide access to visiting researchers and all levels of students within and beyond the MLML consortium. This conceptual blueprint for the academic village will inform decisions on space and institutional resources as a basis for architectural and program plans. The plans will culminate in construction of laboratories, classrooms, activity centers, and conference rooms after fund raising. For more information about MLML please see our website: www.mlml.calstate.edu/.
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) was funded by the National Science Foundation to explore the feasibility of expanding our facilities to match those of most marine laboratories in the United States. Whereas most marine laboratories have housing and extra lab space to accommodate visiting scientists and students, MLML has none. MLML also does not have any housing for our current graduate students. This constraint has narrowed our potential for offering summer courses and building a vigorous program of visiting scientists. MLML purchased a 9.6-acre parcel adjacent to the main lab in 2005 anticipating future opportunities. This current grant has funded the work required to (1) survey present housing at other marine labs, (2) investigate future needs and interests of targeted educators and researchers in central California who are potential users, and (3) determine permitting and environmental issues that would dictate potential building constraints. Responses received from a variety of marine labs support our belief that housing is important as each indicated it was necessary for their existence and research capacity. Results from a survey of likely users indicated widespread interest in housing, research labs, and meeting rooms to accommodate visiting classes, offer more direct research collaborations, and provide accommodations for residential students in and beyond our graduate program. EMC Consultants was hired to research city, county, and state regulations and they found no major roadblocks for constructing the type of academic village we imagined for this location: a central meeting room with adjacent research labs surrounded by a diversity of housing options designed as a community. Meandering walkways along waterways, green building practices, and possible wetland research opportunities would be integrated into this village setting. Our next step is to find funding for architectural drawings and a site plan that sets forth the financial requirements for permitting and construction.
