2009 Message from the Director

George Boehlert HMSC Director

Dear Friends,

In this 2009 “Year of Science”, the Hatfield Marine Science Center is proud to host our annual open house and marine festival showcasing what HMSC and our many partners do in the marine environment. This unique event demonstrates Newport’s role as a major center of marine science in the US and internationally, and we see it as one of the best ways to share this with the community.

As you will discover in looking at the SeaFest schedule of events, there are dozens of activities to explore during your visit. Each of them offers just a glimpse of the wide ranging research and education programs led by Oregon State University and federal and state agencies at the HMSC, along with local community partners such as the Oregon Coast Community College and Oregon Coast Aquarium.

Understanding how conditions in our coastal ocean are changing, and how ecosystems respond is a challenge for scientists; those changes are likewise a source of concern for other ocean users such as Newport’s fishing fleet. SeaFest gives you an opportunity to see how the Hatfield Center’s work examines many facets of these issues.

Whether you are visiting us for the first time or have been here many times before, we hope you enjoy your day at the HMSC and that you leave with some new knowledge about the marine environment and the many ways we all can contribute to sustaining it.

Sincerely,
George Boehlert, HMSC Director