Tours

Explore the Inner Workings

Hatfield Marine Science Center is a vast campus. It takes many pieces and players to make it a world-class facility for research and learning. During Marine Science Day, we offer behind-the-scenes tours. Last year's tours were so popular we decided to add more this year.

Tickets for all tours are available in the courtyard area. The tours are free and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

At-A-Glance Schedule

10:30 & 11:30 a.m.: Hatfield's Seawater System - 45 minutes, 15 people per tour
11 a.m.: Yaquina Estuary Trail - 1 hour, there will be two groups simultaneously with 20 people per group
10:30 & 11:45 a.m.: Vertical tsunami evacuation at the Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building - 45 minutes, 20 people per tour
11 a.m.: Aquaculture Tour - 1 hour, 20 people

Tours Times and Details

10:30 a.m. | Seawater Tours - 45 minutes, 15 people per tour.

Description: Explore the inner workings of Hatfield's sophisticated seawater distribution system, which supplies reliable access to the high-quality seawater needed for a variety of experiments and research. This walking tour will take you into the pump house and show you the filtration system and the innovative chorine generator in the effluent treatment center. Pumping a million gallons of seawater a day to all the research labs on the Hatfield campus, this seawater system is a key piece of the research infrastructure at the Hatfield Marine Science Center.

10:30 a.m. | Tsunami Vertical Evacuation Tour, Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building - 45 minutes, 20 people per tour.

Description: The Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building on the Hatfield Marine Science Center campus was built using state-of-the-art architectural and engineering techniques, making it the first universally accessible vertical evacuation tsunami site in the United States. Ride the emergency elevator or walk the access ramp to high ground on the roof and explore the disaster cache that will take care of people for up to two days after a tsunami. The addition of this building improves the safety of those who study, work and play at the Hatfield Marine Science Center and in the surrounding South Beach community.

11 a.m. | Estuary Tour - 1 hour, 20 people per tour.

Description: Take a one-mile walk along our local nature trail. This trail follows the bay side of the Hatfield Marine Science Center along the Yaquina Estuary and ends near the Oregon Coast Aquarium. On this tour, you will learn about who lives in the salt marshes and mudflats that make up this extraordinary estuarine habitat. This tour is led by Oregon Sea Grant volunteers.

11:00 a.m. | Aquaculture Tour, 1 hour, 20 people per tour.

Description: Go behind the scenes at the USDA ARS Pacific Shellfish Research Unit and explore the Hatfield Aquaculture facility. This in-depth tour showcases the different types of infrastructure in this lab. You will see the water filtration system, the algal production room, and the different experimental setups this facility houses to support the health and growth of shellfish larvae and edible seaweed production.

11:30 a.m. | Seawater Tours - 45 minutes, 15 people per tour.

11:45 a.m. | Tsunami Vertical Evacuation Tour, Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building - 45 minutes, 20 people per tour.