Bird The award will support the renovation and replacement of Marine Organism Culture facilities at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. The institution has a growing program in marine biology and is considered to be the lead campus within the Consolidated University System of North Carolina for growth in this area. The Marine Culture facilities support the current research of ten faculty members and fifty seven students in the Masters' program, as well as a number of undergraduates. A doctoral program in marine biology is currently under discussion, and renovation of the ten-year old facility, which is limited by the effects of corrosion and inadequate temperature control and air handling systems, will be an important element of program growth. NSF support will address required renovations in five areas of the seawater system including improved water flow, distribution, filtration and temperature control; replacement of the larviculture facility; provision of dry lab work space for the benthic ecology projects; improvement of the marine plant tissue culture facility; and restoration of the marine organism holding room.
