Published 03/29/26 at 7:45 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff
(Newport, Oregon) – Returning to the Oregon coast is one of the area’s favorite events: Newport’s Hatfield Marine Science Day on Saturday, April 11.
Flying under the Oregon State University banner, Hatfield Marine Science Center again hosts its annual scientific play day on that Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Perfect for kids and science-curious adults, it’s a free public look at the research and education happening on its Newport campus.
The open house features 40 hands-on exhibits covering marine mammals, aquaculture, fisheries, seabirds, sharks, and ocean engineering. Visitors can get up-close and personal with tidepool creatures, view plankton under microscopes, and step aboard the R/V Kalipi, a 29-foot aluminum vessel used for nearshore research. The Hatfield Visitor Center will also be open at no cost throughout the day.
A mini Big Blue Film Festival will run from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Carem Ford Phillips Auditorium inside the Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building, showcasing a selection of short films celebrating marine environments.
The keynote address, scheduled for 1 to 2 p.m. in the same auditorium, will be delivered by Dr. Danny Pimentel of the University of Oregon. He will discuss his work on artificial ocean intelligence and virtual experiences that allow people to interact with marine ecosystems and wildlife as responsive, conversational beings.
Behind-the-scenes tours have been expanded this year and will run throughout the day. All tours are free, with first-come, first-served tickets available at the Welcome area in the courtyard.
The schedule
Seawater Tour | 10:30 a.m., noon, and 1:30 p.m. | 1 hour, 15 people per tour
Yaquina Estuary Trail Tour | 10:30 a.m., noon, and 1:30 p.m. | 1 hour, 20 people per tour
Tsunami Vertical Evacuation Tour | 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. | 45 min., 20 people per tour
Coastal Monitoring Station Tour | 11 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. | 1 hour, 20 people per tour
Marine Operations Tour | 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. | 1 hour, 20 people per tour
Aquaculture Tour | 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. | 1 hour, 20 people per tour
The Hatfield Marine Science Center is located at 2030 SE Marine Science Drive in Newport.
About OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center: The center is a research and teaching facility on the Yaquina Bay estuary, about one mile from the open Pacific. It supports marine and estuarine research, serves as a base for oceanographic studies, and provides classroom space for students. The campus also hosts research programs from six state and federal agencies. See https://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/
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