Marine and Coastal Opportunities - Oregon State University

07/03/2024

MACO Summer Intern Spotlight: Norah Bean

Hello! My name is Norah Bean and I am studying environmental science with a focus in environmental economics and policy, as well as applied journalism. This summer I will be working at the Oregon Coast Aquarium as their Content Development Intern. I will be researching and creating content for the Aquarium's gallery remodel. I am so excited to grow my writing skills and build new connections. I look forward to helping educate and spread admiration for the Oregon Coast and its marine life. My favorite cartoon is Adventure Time, and my favorite comfort food is any kind of pasta. My favorite "escape place" is Otter Rock and I can't wait to spend time there while I am at the coast this summer.

07/01/2024

Applications for Fall term housing at Hatfield Marine Science Center open on July 1st! The deadline for submission is August 5th. Space is limited so make sure to apply early! For more information visit beav.es/pxc.

Applications for MACO's Coastal Field Housing Awards also close on August 5th! Undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled in courses at Hatfield are eligible to apply, and could receive up to $400.00 to support their field housing at the coast. For more information, visit beav.es/pxq.

06/28/2024

Mark your calendars! This year's Art on the Beach, hosted by the Cascade Head Biosphere Collaborative, Chinook Winds Casino Resort, and Lincoln City will be on Saturday, July 6th, 8-11 AM! Help rake the year's theme into the sand, "MIGRATION", which will be a 100-yard long sand graphic captured by a drone overhead!

06/26/2024

MACO Summer Intern Spotlight: Elitca Ganeva

"Hello, my name is Elitca, or Eli for short, and I’m currently in my second year studying Biology with the Marine Biology option and Oceanography. About five years ago, my family and I moved to Oregon from our home country of Bulgaria and since then I have been having a great time getting to know more about the new culture and people here and at OSU! This summer I will be working as an intern for the Climate Change from Forests to Sea at Cascade Head to help investigate any recent environmental changes caused by climate change and compare them to the other locations on the coast. I’m really excited to spend time with the research team and learn more about the wild and complex environment of our coast and have the opportunity to bring greater public awareness about current conservation work so we may continue to protect it in the future.

My all-time favorite cartoon series is Gravity Falls, as I’ve always been obsessed with cracking codes and ciphers, and appreciating the weird and mysterious in everything. When I feel overwhelmed with life, my favorite ‘escape place’ is to snuggle with a good movie or a book in bed for a few hours, and my favorite comfort food would be a bowl of ice cream or a hot tea."

Good luck on your internship Elitca!

06/24/2024

MACO Summer Intern Spotlight: Angel (Angelina) Lindsey!

"Hi! My name is Angelina Lindsey, but I prefer to go by Angel. I’m a Marine Studies Major minoring in Indigenous Studies with a focus on conservation. This summer I will be an intern for the Coastal Bird Stewardship and Outreach internship, working to raise awareness on the importance of seabird and shorebird conservation through interpretive messages. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to connect with so many people, and I’m hoping to learn various ways in which I can develop impactful messages that can reach people from all sorts of backgrounds so that I may someday apply this to my fisheries conservation work that I hope to do.

Now for some fun facts about me. If I had to choose a single favorite cartoon character, it would probably be Eda Clawthorne from The Owl House. When I have the time, I love to escape to the coast and sit on the sand, relishing the sound of the waves and the smell of the ocean. My favorite comfort food is potatoes. They’re versatile, cheap, and perfect for a quick meal."

We can't wait to see how your internship goes, Angel!

06/21/2024

Welcome to our Summer 2024 MACO Interns! 🥳🥳 They started their internships this week at the Hatfield Marine Science Center with orientation and a scavenger hunt!

Our 2024 interns are:

🌊Sophia Stavrianeas
🐙Paige Foust
🦈Abby McCombs
🦀Ziah Barron
🐠Norah Bean
🐢Miranda Fowles
🐚Kari Hoy
🐋Erin Shogren
🦐Elitca Ganeva
🦞Brendan Feely
🦦Angelina Lindsey

We will be spotlighting each intern and their projects over the summer, so stay tuned!

Alt Text: MACO Summer Interns pose at various stops along their scavenger hunt.

06/20/2024

Congratulations to all Beavs who graduated last week! We would like to give special congratulations to the newly graduated senior leaders of the OSU Ocean11 Marine Club, a MACO departmental advised club.

Among the now-graduated senior leaders are Alexander Van Brocklin, Taylor Cockrell, and Mohammed Al Omar!

Photo 1: Alexander Van Brocklin graduated with a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Favorite moment from Ocean11: “the Oregon Coast aquarium trip last year.”

Photo 2: Taylor Cockrell graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Sciences with minors in Chemistry and Biology. Favorite memory from Ocean11: “going tidepooling with Ocean11 and seeing so many nudibranchs! Also all the friends and amazing people I’ve been able to meet through the club

06/18/2024

We are so proud of the work Dr. Cantor is doing as a National Geographic Explorer! Go, Mauricio! 🌊

Inspired by the groundbreaking work of Dr. Jane Goodall and the Templeton Prize, Templeton World Charity Foundation awarded the National Geographic Society w...

06/17/2024

What. A. Decade! The Marine Studies Initiative started a decade ago in 2014 from a mere idea and developed into a flourishing initiative, bridging the gaps between the many marine-related disciplines across OSU campus, across Oregon, and beyond. Bringing the MSI chapter to a close, we have created an Impact Summary to outline the successes and impact the MSI has generated since its inception in 2014 to its transition to a permanent academic support program, Marine and Coastal Opportunities, in 2024. Read the Impact Summary at the link in our bio or at marinestudies.oregonstate.edu 🌊

06/15/2024

Summer 2024 is all about adventure! This summer is the perfect opportunity for you to suit up and get your feet wet in a new sport through the PAC 247 class: Surfing!🏄

Taking place over four weeks, this class is based in Corvallis with two day-trips to Newport to enjoy some time in the water! Check out this fun video from a previous class trip to the coast: beav.es/pqu

Grab your friends and register to ride the waves of Newport this summer!🌊 Learn more at classes.oregonstate.edu

06/12/2024

WOW! We want to thank all of you for joining us at our 🌊 World Ocean Day Celebration 🌊 event last Friday! With guests from Scientific Diving, Small Boat Program, , and more, there were lots of meaningful conversations and an unparalleled excitement for the ocean and coasts.

A big thanks to the Ocean11 marine club for leading ocean trivia and handing out our ocean-themed cupcakes and ✨ spirulina lemonade! ✨ (A naturally blue superfood from the ocean!)

And last but certainly not least, thanks to all those who entered our photo contest! CONGRATULATIONS to Marine Studies student Charlie Pingree for his 🎉 winning photo 🎉 Soon to be featured on MACO's social media, website, and upcoming newsletter.

It was a wonderful celebration, and although there may be one designated day to acknowledge the ocean and coasts, the truth is that every day is world ocean day 🌊 🌎

06/07/2024

Time to 🐚SHELLebrate: it’s our annual World Ocean Day (WOD) Celebration!🌊

We are thrilled to celebrate WOD with you all from 1-3pm outside the west entrance of Strand Agriculture Hall (facing the MU)! Stop by for ocean trivia, a chat with OSU’s Marine Mammal Institute or Diving Office, free ocean-themed snacks, and a special World Ocean Day 2024 sticker!

But wait–there’s more! We are hosting an 📸Ocean Photo Contest on our Instagram account. Want your photo featured on the NEW MACO website, upcoming newsletter, and social media? Do the following by 11:59pm on Saturday, June 8th!
- Pick your favorite ocean photo. Please limit it to landscapes, wildlife, etc. with no identifiable faces
- Follow us and tag us with the photo in your story

Photo winner will be announced on Tuesday the 11th!

This all sounds 🦐shrimply amazing, right? SEA you later today on the west Strand Patio from 1-3pm!🌅


Photo credit to MACO Student Worker Kate Larson

06/05/2024

Don’t miss your chance to learn about Human Dimensions in Marine Mammal Conservation in this ✨NEW✨ course, FW 568, taught by one of the Marine Mammal Institute's National Geographic Explorers Dr. Mauricio Cantor and subject area expert Dr. Tara Whitty!

This course is ONLY offered this summer in Summer Session 5 (three weeks) at Hatfield Marine Science Center; what a FIN-credible opportunity🐋! It is also a core course within the new Marine Mammal Graduate Certificate beav.es/cBK

Learn more or register at classes.oregonstate.edu, and don't forget that all students pay in-state tuition for summer courses!

Coastal Travel Assistance is available through MACO at beav.es/q8A

05/29/2024

Our Connection for May 2024 is the College of Pharmacy!

Dr. Jane Ishmael is a pharmacologist in the College of Pharmacy with research interests in natural product drug discovery.

Her laboratory studies the potential of compounds synthesized from marine cyanobacteria 🦠 (blue-green algae) to induce cell death in brain tumor cells. By understanding how cancer cells react to these chemical structures from the sea, Dr. Ishmael’s group strives to provide inspiration for medicines targeting human cancers.🌊

This research has grown into an international collaboration with various academic institutions. Dive into the details on her work at beav.es/pkN

Big thanks to Dr. Ishmael for providing insight on her research and its connections to the ocean and coasts, and for highlighting her anti-cancer work during this Brain Tumor Awareness Month!

To learn more about the College of Pharmacy, visit pharmacy.oregonstate.edu

05/28/2024

The Ocean11 marine club has had a very busy term with lots of fun events!🌊

From the annual Spring Camping Trip in Florence, OR to tidepooling at Seal Rock and creating gyotaku art with Duncan Berry at Cascade Head Biosphere, the club’s members are gaining lots of meaningful experiences centered around the ocean and coasts.

Stay tuned for Ocean11’s last couple events before the academic year ends!

05/24/2024

Join us for our ✨World Ocean Day Celebration✨ taking place on Friday, June 7th from 1-3 pm at the West entrance of Strand Agriculture Hall (facing the MU Quad). There will be tabling, free snacks, trivia, and more!

Connect with people from OSU’s Dive Offices (Scientific Diving and Small Boating!) 🤿 & the Marine Mammal Institute 🐋, then have some fun with the United for Oceanography club and Ocean11. 🌊

Take a break and grab some cake while you’re enjoying World Ocean Day! SEA you there!

*While the official United Nations designation for World Ocean Day is still June 8, the 2024 event will be celebrated on Friday, June 7.

05/22/2024

✨NEW✨ coastal course alert!

Biology, Ecology, & Conservation of Marine Mammals (FW 457x/557x) is a five-week, Fall 2024 course at the Hatfield Marine Science Center!🌊

This 9-credit class offers a comprehensive overview of marine mammal science and the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings, using the Oregon Coast as a living laboratory! Taught by three professors from both OSU’s Marine Mammal Institute and the Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences Department, this course emphasizes integrative learning and exposure to a wide variety of professions and fields related to marine mammalogy🐋

Consider enrolling in companion courses, including Ecampus options, to complete a full Fall term at Hatfield Marine Science Center and ensure progress in your degree. Contact your advisor for more information about how FW 457x/557x can be applied to your specific degree program or specialization.

Housing is available on-site at HMSC, with housing scholarships available.

For more info, check out beav.es/p42 or register at classes.oregonstate.edu.

Killer Whale and Harbor Seal Photos by MACO Student Workers Branden States and Kate Larson

05/17/2024

Looking for a summer job? Well, look no further! We are HIRING! This student employee position, supported by the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) and Marine and Coastal Opportunities (MACO), will be located at HMSC in Newport, Oregon, and includes housing in a furnished residence hall-style room! This position will assist community and communications development at HMSC as an ambassador for inclusive experiential learning at the coast. Apply at beav.es/pkx by May 31st, 2024 for full consideration!

05/17/2024

🎉The countdown is over: the full video of our latest installment to the Marine and Coastal Stewards video series is HERE!🎉

Mohammed Al Omar is an undergraduate student in the College of Liberal Arts - Oregon State University majoring in Marine Studies. He is also the Vice President of the OSU Ocean11 Marine Club. Originally from Saudi Arabia, Mohammed applied for a scholarship from the Saudi Arabian government to study marine sciences and eventually made his way to the OSU Marine Studies program.

We invite you to check out the link in our bio to watch the full video on our YouTube account! Sit back, enjoy the film, and feel inspired by Mohammed's passion for the ocean and coasts!🌊

05/15/2024

It’s not too late to add some coastal courses to your Summer 2024 schedule, including OC 433: Coastal and Estuarine Oceanography!🌊

Taking place in Summer Session 2, this 4-week course immerses students in the science and mechanics of the ocean and estuaries. Based at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, you’ll be living and learning at OSU’s coastal facilities with a field trip on the water in Yaquina Bay!

Learn more or register to claim your spot at classes.oregonstate.edu

05/13/2024

Summer is right around the corner, and there is still time to register for a few coastal-centered courses, such as this ✨NEW 3-credit course✨: MAST 406, Thinking with Oceans!

This three-week course takes place on the figurative shores where scientific, philosophical, and creative/artistic inquiry meet, and on the literal shores of the 🌊Oregon Coast (at Hatfield Marine Science Center on a required field trip), where students will spend four days exploring ways to improve and reimagine our connection to marine lives and spaces.

While at Hatfield, the class will host talks and interactive experiences led by a number of special guests: biologists challenging colonial histories and ontologies of Oregon dune management, philosophers studying Native Hawaiian ocean feminisms, tribal members preserving coastal Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and even a local artist whose work resists the stagnation and objective distance typical of scientific representation, and instead focuses on depicting marine beings in their individuality, personality, fluidity, and agency.

Housing and transport will be provided to/from Corvallis campus and Hatfield from September 4-6th.

Enroll now to start thinking with oceans!

05/10/2024

The Spring 2024 offering of BI 450, Marine Biology and Ecology, is well under-way at the Hatfield Marine Science Center! This 15-credit writing and field intensive course is a dream for marine biology and ecology enthusiasts! For Biology majors in the marine biology and ecology option, this required class is normally taken during the Spring term of their junior year.

Thinking about taking this course next spring? Hear from current BI 450 students themselves!

Ryleigh Johnson shares, “Being at BI 450 is a milestone I have been looking forward to since I came to OSU. I have been able to learn so much through species identification of invertebrates, fish and algae, as well as through community ecology and hands on practice with field data collection. I've really enjoyed how immersive the class has been, as you truly do live and breathe marine biology.

Chris Crosbie-Villase says, “BI450 has been the most rewarding experience I have been lucky enough to be a part of…Being immersed in the scientific world has opened up a lot of opportunities and paths I never even knew I could get this excited for."

Taylor Bacon shares, “Having the class be so hands-on with the field labs and even the wet lab has allowed me to truly understand our curriculum and the species we learn about. This class provides such a unique way to learn about marine biology and ecology and it is truly something I'll forever be grateful for.”

OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center

05/06/2024

Did you know that MACO supports coastal travel assistance for OSU students, faculty, and staff by giving away ✨FREE✨ Coast to Valley Express tickets every term?!

This fantastic public transit system picks up right on Corvallis campus at McNary Hall and drops off at the Hatfield Marine Science Center four times a day, so you can make it out to your early morning lecture or field trip at HMSC and be back in Corvallis by the end of that day!

Tickets are supported for qualifying purposes, including classes, field trips, tours, lectures, events, and other degree-supporting work at Hatfield.

This is open to both undergraduate and graduate level students, as well as faculty and staff!

We encourage you to apply for tickets for your next marine science adventure!🌊

05/01/2024

Coming soon: the newest episode of our video series, 🌊Marine and Coastal Stewards!🌊

Formerly named “Ocean Stewards,” Marine and Coastal Stewards highlights meaningful student and faculty experiences with the ocean and coasts.

Keep an eye out for the full release!

04/29/2024

Our next Connection is the College of Forestry (CoF)! 🌲

Recently over Spring Break, the CoF International Programs Office hosted a Spring Break faculty-led program in Canada called "The Salmon Coast: Forest and Resource Management for Sustainability in Canada."

"The Salmon Coast" program focused on two key resources, salmon and forests: just as here in Oregon, salmon are an integral part of the lives of First Nations/Native Tribes, a valuable economic resource, and intimately tied to the coastal forest ecosystem. The group explored the environment and ecology of temperate rainforests, learned about the life cycle of pacific salmon, and met with representatives from local industry, research teams, and Indigenous tribal groups.

Sharing her firsthand experience in the course, undergraduate student Kayla Strader says: “When I heard about the College of Forestry’s Salmon Coast study abroad experience to Vancouver Island, I knew that this was an opportunity I wanted to take advantage of. As a Natural Resource major with an option in Fish and Wildlife [Conservation Sciences], this trip combined some of my favorite areas of study: Salmon fisheries management, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and coastal rainforest ecosystems! Not only was this a great opportunity to explore groves of old growth trees and west coast big leaf maple syrup production, but also learn more about Canadian culture and history.”

This course not only exposed students to multiple perspectives on land appropriation, salmon conservation, and other cultural issues, but also shows just how intrinsically linked the ocean and forests are.

To learn more about the College of Forestry and their international programs, visit
beav.es/cu8

Big thanks to ✨Kayla✨ for providing insight on this program!

04/26/2024

Update: the free tickets are now spoken for. Tickets are still available for purchase at beav.es/cd2

OSU’s film, “Heceta Bank: Oregon’s Hidden Wonder” is headed to Portland on April 30th at OMSI– and we have an exciting announcement!

The first two people to like this post and DM us will get ✨TWO FREE✨ tickets each to our Heceta Bank film screening, including the Q&A panel with marine scientists and conservationists across Oregon, AND the film's maker!

You don’t want to miss this opportunity to explore this beautiful 🌊 coastal region through film!

04/25/2024

WOW, we are ASTOUNDED at the SEA of support! 🌊

With your generous donations, we were able to unlock our challenge gift and raised ✨$4,870✨across our various funds, making 2024 one of our most successful years yet!

A big thanks to all who gave to Marine and Coastal Opportunities' funds on ! You've shown marine-minded students they really do have an ocean of support backing them!

04/25/2024

Before the sun sets on , let's rally to show our support for students and researchers at the coast! Please consider making a gift to one or more of our priority funds: Marine Studies Innovation Fund to help support student learning opportunities at the coast - this year, focusing on coastal field housing and the OSU Ocean11 Marine Club, and/or the OSU Port Orford Field Station Science and Education Fund, which provides vital support to students, researchers, and the community on the Southern Oregon Coast. Let's show marine-minded students they're not alone — that there's an entire community who believes in them! Give now at beav.es/c2A ! We only need FIVE more gifts to unlock a challenge gift of $1300!

Photo credits to Kate Larson, MACO Media and Communications tech student worker!

04/25/2024

The Port Orford Field Station has a lab and classroom space, lodging for visiting scientists & students, and an air fill station for scientific, commercial, and recreational SCUBA divers.🤿

Give to the Port Orford Field Station Science and Education fund at the link in our bio on this !

Don’t let DPD end without showing your support for the Port Orford Field Station!

04/24/2024

Happy !

One of the biggest ways to show your support is by giving a gift towards coastal field housing for students studying at the Hatfield Marine Science Center.🌊

Give a gift today and unlock our challenge gifts at the link in our bio!

Don’t let end without showing your support for students at the coast!


*Photo Credit to