Humbolt State University Marine Laboratory is awarded a grant to renovate a wet lab facility to facilitate maintenance and improve reliability of the recirculating seawater system, provide improved configuration of tanks for research studies, provide improved seawater system drainage, provide a safer work environment, and provide improved displays for visitors and educational outreach. Humboldt State University Marine Laboratory (HSU ML) supports a diversity of marine research and education programs, with a focus on upper division and graduate level instruction and research. Constructed in 1964 at an original size of 7,400 sq ft, it was expanded to 16,200 sq ft in 1975. The HSU ML has instructional classrooms- laboratories, offices for faculty, affiliated scientists and graduate students, and other specialized spaces. A recirculating seawater system provides high quality filtered and chilled seawater to classrooms, and supports a 3,000 sq ft wet laboratory, a set of six rectangular public display aquaria, a large circular tank with small public viewing window, and a "touch tank". A marine naturalist maintains an active K-12 education program and an estimated 12,000-15,000 visitors tour our facility each year.
NSF funding provided support for a complete renovation of wet lab at the Humboldt State University (HSU) Marine Laboratory, in Trinidad, CA. The HSU Marine Lab supports instruction and research by faculty, students and affiliated scientists, and provides important public outreach functions including public access to display aquaria and hosted tours for elementary and high school students. There is no equivalent marine science laboratory, wet lab facility, or free public display of marine organisms between Charleston, OR, and Bodega Bay, CA, a distance of about 425 miles. The HSU Marine Lab is located near the center of this long stretch of Pacific coastline. The wet lab renovation project involved (a) Removal of all research and instructional tanks and equipment from the wet lab, (b) Repair and painting of walls, replacement of door frames, repair of sliding door and floors, (c) Installation of a new (and safer) wet lab electrical system and new saltwater resistant plumbing fixtures and plumbing system, (d) Construction and installation of new fiberglass reinforced tank stands and walkways, (e) Reinstallation of recycled tanks that remained in good condition, (f) Purchase and installation of a small number of new tanks, (g) Concrete wall cutting and reinforcement to accommodate a new large public display aquarium, (h) Removal and replacement of display aquaria support stands, (i) Replacement of the existing display aquaria, and (j) Installation of LCD displays above public display aquaria. Funding provided by NSF (about $200,000) was leveraged with outside donor funding so that wet lab renovations needed to serve students, faculty and affiliated scientists could be carried out at the same time that important improvements in outreach capabilities were accomplished. Tasks (a) – (f) and (h) were supported bv NSF funding. Tasks (g), (i) and (j) were funded by a total of $125,000 of donations from the United Plankton Foundation (for purchase and installation of new display aquaria), the Desert Community Foundation (for purchase and installation of LCD displays above public aquaria), and the HSU Loyalty (Alumni) Fund (for purchase of additional new research and instructional tanks). The renovated wet lab interior has created a new high quality and safe environment for research and instruction in the marine sciences at Humboldt State University. Materials used in the renovation project of are exceptionally high quality and should be highly resistant to corrosion or other degradation due to continuous exposure to salt water or aerosols. The renovated design of the laboratory electrical and plumbing system is highly superior to the original design. Main water delivery pipes are now routed along the walls of the wet lab where they supply nearby tanks and display aquaria. New electrical service is all encased in conduit, and covered waterproof outlets are located at short distances from one another so that absolutely no extension cords will be required in the future, thereby assuring a safe working environment. We are pleased to report that our renovated wet lab facilities are already being used to support a 3 year NSF-funded project (RUI: Colonization genetics of globally invasive marine bryozoa; Does adaptation prior or post-introduction determine spread?). Project #1061695 is a collaborative effort between Dr. Sean Craig, Biology, HSU, and Dr. Josh Mackie, San Jose State University. Together, Dr's Craig and Mackie propose to investigate the degree to which different genetic clades of an invasive bryozoan are adapted to different water temperature regimes along the Pacific coast. Because they are working in part on a non-local invasive Bryozoan species, they are using closed system circulating sea water systems along the north wall of the wet lab where tanks with many separate 'compartments' are available. The completed infrastructure project has also generated impressive new facilities for Public Outreach. These facilities include our new public display aquaria and our new LCD displays. Taken togther, these new outreach improvements provide the general public and local educators (elementary, middle and high school) with much improved opportunities to view and study marine organisms at our facility.
