The Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) is a research and teaching facility located on the Yaquina Bay estuary, about one mile from the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. HMSC plays an integral role in programs of marine and estuarine research and instruction, as a laboratory facility serving resident scientists, as a base for far-ranging oceanographic studies, and as a classroom for students.

The various marine habitats in close proximity to the Hatfield Marine Science Center are ideal sites for ecological studies and provide a rich flora and fauna for laboratory investigations as it the Yaquina Bay estuary provides a gradient from marine to freshwater habitats with extensive intertidal sand and mud flats as well as salt marsh areas.

Visitor Center Hours –
Summer: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day

Winter: Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.