CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University will continue to commemorate its 150th anniversary with nearly two weeks of free activities in mid-February centered around the university’s decades of work protecting coasts and oceans.

The OSU150 Sea Grant Festival will take place Feb. 12-24 in Corvallis, Portland, Newport, Port Orford, Coos Bay and Astoria. It includes talks, interactive tours, a tasting event and special screenings of an OSU-produced documentary about coral reefs.

Some events have limited capacity and require advance registration. To register visit: http://communications.oregonstate.edu/sea.

“Oregon Sea Grant, which has been based at OSU since 1971, works on many issues facing our coast, from engaging with the fishing industry to helping communities prepare for hazards,” said the program’s director, Shelby Walker. “We serve as a neutral third party, bringing people together and providing the science and information they need to make informed decisions. We also fund marine-related research at universities throughout Oregon, have more than a dozen Extension specialists along the coast and in Corvallis, and operate the public education wing of the Hatfield Marine Science Center.”

Here is a list of the events:

Feb. 12

11 a.m. to 2 p.m., OSU150 Sea Grant Festival Kickoff Day, OSU’s Student Experience Center Plaza, Corvallis.

Feb. 13

12 to 1 p.m., “Renewable Energy for Oregon: Building Resilient Communities” talk, location to be determined, Corvallis.

6 p.m., “Should I stay or should I go? Tsunami evacuation modeling along the Oregon coast” presentation, The LaSells Stewart Center at OSU, Corvallis.

Feb. 15

3:30 to 5 p.m., tour the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory, Corvallis.

7 p.m., a special screening of “Saving Atlantis,” a feature film about communities and Oregon State researchers and other scientists fighting to save the world’s coral reefs, at Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Portland. (Space is limited. Registration required.)

Feb. 16

6 p.m.,Taste for Yourself: Consumer Perceptions and Preferences for Fresh vs. Frozen Seafoodwith Ann Colonna of Oregon State Extension. Attendees will be able to taste the products. CH2M HILL Alumni Center at OSU, Corvallis. (Space is limited. Registration required.)

Feb. 17

10 a.m. - 5 p.m., tour labs and meet with Port Orford Field Station Manager Tom Calvanese to learn about the community partnerships taking place at this location, Port Orford.

12 to 2 p.m., learn about Charleston’s commercial fishing Industry with Oregon Sea Grant extension agent Jamie Doyle. Come on a guided walk and learn how to identify what a fishing vessel is catching by looking at the gear, Charleston. (Space is limited. Registration required.)

11 a.m. to 5 p.m., visit the University of Oregon’s Charleston Marine Life Center to find out about Oregon Sea Grant funded research on gooseneck barnacle aquaculture, jellyfish, and circulation in the Coos estuary.  Explore a tidepool touch tank, whale and sea lion skeletons and view underwater video from deep reefs and undersea volcanoes.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visit the Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center and enjoy a one-day only Marine Science Fair, with interactive exhibits by faculty and student scientists, Newport.

10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., tour the seawater system at the Hatfield Marine Science Center that can pump 1.6 million gallons of seawater each day through the research, academic and outreach facilities, Newport. (Space is limited. Registration required.) 

11 a.m. to 12 p.m., learn about the rocky intertidal habitat and the creatures that live there in this hands-on, family-friendly class with live marine animals, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport. (Space is limited. Registration required.)

1 to 3 p.m. take a dock walk and learn about Newport’s commercial fishing industry with Kaety Jacobson, Oregon Sea Grant’s marine extension agent, Newport’s Port Dock 5, Newport. (Space is limited. Registration required.)

12 to 5 p.m., explore innovations in processing seafood, and how researchers are addressing local issues at the OSU Seafood Research Center and Education Center, Astoria.

12 to 2 p.m., take a dock walk and learn about Astoria/Warrenton’s commercial fishing industry with Amanda Gladics, Oregon Sea Grant’s coastal fisheries extension faculty, Warrenton. (Space is limited. Registration required.)

Feb. 19

6 p.m., “Navigating new possibilities in ocean forecasting: Connecting data providers and end users,” talk by Jessica Kunoen, OSU graduate student, Old World Deli, 341 SW 2nd St., Corvallis.

Feb. 20 

5 p.m., “Hope for People and the Ocean,” presentation by Jane Lubchenco, a University Distinguished Professor and former head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA,) LaSells Stewart Center at OSU, Corvallis.

7 p.m., a special screening of “Saving Atlantis,” a feature-length documentary about scientists and communities fighting to save coral reefs, LaSells Stewart Center at OSU, Corvallis. (Space is limited. Registration required.)

Feb. 21

4 to 6 p.m., tour OSU’s Ocean Observing Center and see the giant surface buoys, seafloor platforms and underwater robots that OSU scientists use to explore the ocean off the Pacific Northwest coast, Corvallis.

5:30 p.m., double feature - Hatfield Film Festival followed by a special screening of “Saving Atlantis,” a feature-length documentary about scientists and communities fighting to save coral reefs, Newport Performing Arts Center, Newport. (Space is limited. Registration required.)

Feb. 22

7 p.m., Phi Beta Kappa lecture with James Zachos, a professor of Earth and planetary sciences at UC Santa Cruz, room 100, Learning Innovation Center at OSU, Corvallis. (Space is limited. Registration required.)

Feb. 23

3:30 to 5 p.m., tour the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory, Corvallis.

Feb. 24

10 a.m. to 12 p.m., “Stories from 60 Years of Ocean Science,” room 100, Learning Innovation Center at OSU, Corvallis.

Participants can build a custom schedule on the OSU150 app, which can be downloaded from Google Play or the Apple app store.

Accommodations for disabilities may be made by contacting Shelly Signs at 541-737-0724 or [email protected].

The OSU150 celebration will continue over the next several months, culminating with the official 150th anniversary in October 2018. An exhibit, “Oregon State University: A Legacy of Transformation,” which commemorates the university’s achievements during those 150 years will open Feb. 10 and run through Sept. 9  at the Oregon Historical Society Museum in Portland.

Story By: 

Sean Nealon, 541-737-0787, [email protected]

Source: 

Shelly Signs, 541-737-0724, [email protected]

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