Contact Information
(541) 346-2581
(541) 346-3250 fax
http://www.uoregon.edu/~oimb/Academics/marinebiomajorone.html
Undergraduate degrees: B.A, B.S.
Explore coastal estuaries and rocky Intertidal shores
Situated on 130-acres of coastal property along Coos Bay on the southern Oregon coast, the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB) is a vast, living classroom where small numbers of undergraduates and graduate students in biology, marine biology, general science, and environmental science study marine organisms in their natural habitat.
“An academic term at OIMB is completely different from a term in Eugene,” explains OIMB Director Craig Young. “Activities are scheduled around the tides, and the focus is on field work and hands-on experience with living marine organisms.”
At OIMB, a small fleet of boats makes it possible to explore the spectrum of marine habitats from ocean to estuary. Students have access to an exceptionally rich, rocky intertidal shore teeming with colorful marine invertebrates, extensive near-shore kelp beds, and a fantastic variety of marine plants. The Charleston region also has outstanding opportunities to study marine birds and mammals. Located on the Pacific Migratory flyway, many different seabirds use the bay and beaches throughout the year. Within miles of the institute, sea lions, elephant seals and harbor seals can be observed in their native habitat. A recent group of OIMB students had the opportunity to work side-by-side with faculty and government workers to recover and autopsy a freshly dead killer whale.
The teaching and research laboratories are all equipped with running seawater tanks where plants and animals are maintained under conditions similar to those in which they normally live. This permits all sorts of observations and experiments that are not possible on a typical university campus, explains Young. Virtually all courses incorporate research projects to teach students how to design experiments, analyze data and write scientific papers.
“Most students who come here consider their time at OIMB to be the highlight of their college experience,” adds Professor Young.
Points of Interest
- The University of Oregon offers the only Marine Biology degree in the Pacific Northwest.
- Students who pursue a degree in marine biology receive the same solid background as a UO Biology major, but also experience several terms of field-based learning at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB).
- OIMB is a picturesque complex of laboratories, classrooms, and dormitories situated on 130 acres in the southern coastal fishing village of Charleston, Oregon.