Exhibits
Exhibits
FEATURED EXHIBITS
SCIENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES
Learn about the fish caught off Oregon's coast, the science behind managing for sustainability, and the gear used to catch them.
This new exhibit features detailed scale models by local craftsman Duke Rider of actual boats that set out from Newport in search of salmon, albacore tuna and shrimp.
TIDEPOOL TOUCH TANKS
Roll up your sleeves and reach into our four tidepool tanks to touch the living marine organisms! Gently stroke fish, skates, and sea stars. Discover what happens when your fingers touch sticky sea anemone tentacles. Get a finger "hug" from sea urchins. Friendly volunteers are on hand to answer your questions and help you explore. Our tidepools are arranged so that visitors of all ages and abilities can get close to the animals.
RHYTHMS OF OUR COASTAL WATERS: YAQUINA BAY
Discover what happens to salinity, or the amount of salt in the water, in an estuary located in Newport, Oregon. This exhibit is physically located in the HMSC Visitor Center and was created to help you, the general public, make sense of what is happening in the bays and estuaries in the Pacific Northwest.
The NANOOS exhibit features a simple refractometer which is used to measure salinity. Curious to know how this refractometer exhibit was designed and constructed? Click here.
Check out the Web version of this exhibit from the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Sites (NANOOS), including real-time data sets!
MAGIC PLANET
One of our newest exhibits, Magic Planet, is sure to spark your interest and capture your imagination.
The Magic Planet is a giant, animated globe that allows you to view and explore dynamic digital media of the planet’s atmosphere, oceans, and land. This captivating educational tool graphically illustrates earth system science to people of all ages in an engaging and interactive way.
Magic Planet presentations occur throughout the season on a variety of topics. We offer self-guided, computer-driven presentations so you can explore on your own.
INVASION OF THE HABITAT SNATCHERS
From Asian clams to zebra mussels, aquatic invasive species are emerging as a major environmental threat. They harm native fish and wildlife, permanently alter habitats, and lead to billions of dollars in costs.
Invasion of the Habitat Snatchers uses live displays, video and hands-on activities to demonstrate how invasive species enter and affect new environments, the factors that influence an invader’s “success” and how each of us can prevent future invasions.
Learn about aquatic invaders that threaten the Pacific Northwest, how they arrive and how they can be controlled. Get a close-up look at ballast water “hitchhikers,” Spin the "Wheel of Misfortune" to learn about invasion risks or play the role of an aquatic invader in an interactive survival game.
OUR EIGHT-ARMED RECEPTIONIST
An octopus has been greeting the public at the Visitor Center since shortly after we opened in 1965. It hasn't been the same octopus, of course. There have been many greeters, each with its own personality and level of enthusiasm for the job - and each with its own name, chosen by our visitors.
The octopus occupies the first large tank just as you enter our exhibit area. If the tank lid is open and you notice a crowd, that means it's feeding time, always a popular event for our visitors (and the octopus, too!). The octopus is fed only every few days - you can see the current feeding schedule here.
OCTOPUSES OR OCTOPI?
Linguistically speaking, the plural of octopus ought to be "octopodes," or the Anglicized "octopuses," since "octopi" tacks a Latin suffix onto the Greek root, "oktopous." However, most dictionaries accept either "octopuses" or "octopi," as do most of those who work with the animals.
Learn more about the Giant Pacific octopus.
EARTHQUAKES ON THE OREGON COAST?
Pardon our mess! You may notice some construction work going on in our Visitor Center. In the interest of safety, this Fall our buildings are undergoing upgrades to better withstand earthquakes. Although the Central Oregon Coast is an area not typically associated with a large number of earthquakes, the entire West Coast is located along shifting tectonic plates, which can lead to increased seismic activity resulting in potential earthquakes and tsunamis.
For more information on earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest, take a look at our Active Earth kiosk exhibit.
Patterns of Science
Patterns of Science
Throughout the center, you'll find exhibits that focus on patterns in nature and how they can be used to help explain, understand and predict our complex, changing environment.
Scientists use patterns to create models that simulate the environment. Scientific models help solve complicated mysteries like whale migrations or the cause of El Niño. Scientific models developed by researchers help coastal towns figure out the best evacuation routes in case of a tsunami. The patterns we notice and the models researchers develop can help us make decisions about the wise use and conservation of natural resources. Very complicated models can even imitate nature's sporadic disorder.
In our Pattern Garden, look for similarities of sound, texture, color and behavior in The Pattern Garden. The sea stars and anemones in our Touch Tank, for instance, have distinct color patterns; feel their texture. Identify different whales by their patterns of sound. Time-lapse photography shows patterns of sand build up and removal by wind and ocean currents.
Follow the links below to learn more about patterns at a variety of scales, from global to microscopic.
Global scale
Global Scale
Research into patterns that cross national boundaries, including many oceanic and climate issues, is done on a global scale.
In our global scale exhibits, you can learn about research efforts to understand such large-scale topics as the migration of whales, climate change and the spread of invasive species.
Try predicting the weather based on satellite imags; watch as scientists tag whales to track their movements through the oceans, and get a look at the satellite images and equipment used to gather information on such phenomena as El Niño.
Take the controls of our ROV simulator to learn first-hand how researchers use these remotely operated vehicles to explore the ocean deeps.
For an even more interactive experience, visit our Magic Planet exhibit to manipulate actual research data about climate and geology and see the results projected as time-lapse animations on a three-dimensional model of the planet Earth.
Bird's Eye Scale
Bird's Eye Scale
Patterns that can be discerned only from a regional perspective require a bird's eye view.
Tsunamis, endangered species and commercial fishing are some topics whose study requires an aerial or overview perspective.
Our birds'-eye exhibits include:
- An interactive computer game that explores the consequences of decisions you make as a commercial fisher or natural resource manager
- Exploration of the habitats and ranges of animals that live in the coast range
- A model that demonstrates the impact a tsunami could have on Oregon's coastal bays and communities.
Eye Level Scale
Eye-Level Scale
The very first scientists, curious people like yourself, used eye-level observations to understand their world.
Tide pool animals, offshore reef exploration and fish life cycles are some of the marine subjects researchers have studied at eye-level.
Our exhibits include interactive games that let you test your survival skills as a crab or a tiny pollock (fish); lets you get eyeball to eyeball with a rockfish (and many other forms of sealife), and see maps and video of the ocean floor.
You can also learn about research going on right here at the HMSC to return native oysters to the Oregon coastal bays and estuaries where they once grew in great numbers.
Microscopic Scale
Microscopic Scale
To understand the minute world of pathogens, nerve pathways and plankton, scientists work on a microscopic scale.
Marine research featured in this area focuses on plankton, diagnosing sick fish and crab, and using sea slugs to explore the neurological basis for learning. Interactive exhibits let you detect the cause of a crab disease and identify what killed a fish. You can view plankton under a microscope, and find out how sea slugs are helping us understand the process of learning.
High Sea Stowaways examines how the ballast water from giant cargo ships can transport the microscopic larvae of species from one part of the world to other places where they don't belong. In new environments, some of those stowaways out-compete the native plants and animals, causing huge problems for the economy and the environment.
The Chaos Wheel
Complexity creates chaos?
A computerized scientific model aimed at predicting hurricanes must include a lot of information. Humidity, ocean currents, ocean temperatures, wind patterns, air temperatures, amount of cloud cover. the list is long. The more information, the more accurate the model, right? Yes. And no.
In very complex models, a tiny difference can create very different results.
A global weather model, for example, might predict a hurricane or a calm, sunny day. The difference between the two predictions might be a single temperature measurement too small for the human senses to detect. That randomness has been described as the "butterfly effect," or the idea that a butterfly moving its wings could alter the weather a year from now halfway across the planet.
Chaos affects the parts of our world that we've never been able to predict consistently. Chaotic patterns vary over time, aren't linear and don't repeat precisely: History. The shifting shape of Oregon's coastline. Snowflakes.
Our waterwheel in the Pattern Garden is designed to help visitors understand a bit about chaos. The wheel's movement predictable until the water level shifts below a certain point. Then the wheel spins more randomly. You can't predict which direction it will turn, how much water it will dump, or how far or how fast it will move.
The implications of chaos theory are being explored in art, management, music, social science and engineering.
Want to learn more about Chaos Theory? Our bookstore carries several books on the topic, and there are many sites available on the Web. Some web pages are created by scientists to share their findings, others by people fascinated by chaos theory who lack any scientific training. Here are a few to get you started:
- What is Chaos Theory? - A brief discussion of chaos and its principles from The Fractal Foundation, dedicated to using the beauty of fractals to inspire interest in science, math and art.
- Chaos Theory: A Brief Introduction - A clear and concise introduction to chaos concepts
- In a World of Order, Chaos Reigns - A ThinkQuest site, created by pre-college students.Easy-to-understand examples of chaos in everyday life, from the coastline of Britain to washing machine design.