NEWPORT – The annual Marine Science Day sponsored by the Hatfield Marine Science Center is returning – virtually – from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 9. This year’s theme is “Local Research, Global Impact.”
The free event is open to the public and no registration is required. The event can be accessed online. The Marine Science Day site will remain open for the entire year and include recordings of the live events April 9.
The keynote speaker will be Lisa Balance, director of the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University, whose talk is titled “A Mystery Whale Uncovered off the Oregon Coast: Local Research, Global Impact.”
Other live events include:
- A shark dissection with Dr. Taylor Chapple of the Big Fish Lab at OSU;
- Live marine animal interactions with K-12 marine education specialists Lindsay Carroll from Oregon Sea Grant and Cait Goodwin, from the Oregon Coast STEM Hub
- How to give a whale a PCR test; and
- A tour of the Innovation Lab on the Hatfield campus
Other “rooms” in the virtual exhibit hall include:
- The Kid Zone with marine science activities for all ages;
- A Community Art Gallery, art prompt, and virtual gallery where the public can digitally display their marine science-inspired creations;
- Dozens of interactive displays on research at the marine science center that is having a global impact;
- Behind-the-scenes video tours of HMSC, research vessels, and coast habitat research;
- Information on how to get involved locally and make a global impact via citizen science, volunteering, life-long learning, or art and expression.
