Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC), http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu, has been awarded a grant for the construction of a 2256 sq ft Experimental Seawater Facility. The facility will significantly expand HMSC's capacity for interdisciplinary, collaborative research for faculty, graduate and undergraduate students - especially in emerging areas of research including those related to climate change and ocean acidification - through increased access to wet lab space. HMSC's 1.5 million gallon per day seawater system has reliably enabled nearly 50 years of teaching and research excellence and is a critical component of current research by OSU and six federal and state agencies co-located on the HMSC campus. The Experimental Seawater Facility increases the immediate value and versatility of the seawater system by increasing key wet lab research space and enabling real-time monitoring and experimental manipulation of laboratory seawater and light environment. The facility and associated instrumentation will provide: 1) instructional wet lab space for undergraduate and graduate student researchers in support of current programs and academic program expansion 2) wet lab research space for short-term research by OSU faculty, graduate students and visiting scientists without other access to seawater labs 3) wet lab research space for high-risk or pilot projects for faculty, graduate students and visiting users which may lead to collaborative, interdisciplinary research on emerging or critical issues 4) the ability to monitor and manipulate environmental parameters of laboratory seawater for experimentation, complimenting existing and planned monitoring of estuarine, nearshore and oceanic conditions.
The Experimental Seawater Facility's multi-purpose design builds on decades of research and teaching success and on the results of a 2006 NSF planning grant. A portion of the new wet lab space will be designed and equipped for undergraduate and graduate student researchers including NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) interns. Experimental monitoring and manipulation of laboratory seawater will complement the NSF-funded Ocean Observing Initiative?s (OOI) Endurance Array off the coast of Newport, which will collect real-time ocean data at a range of spatial and temporal scales. The facility will also enable new research complementing several NSF-funded research programs in ocean acidification, an emerging area of research in the North Pacific. HMSC's extensive outreach and education programs provide a vehicle for new research on emerging issues to inform and inspire the larger community through the HMSC Visitor Center, which through NSF funding also serves as a free-choice learning laboratory and as a COSEE Learning Center.
