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Climate and Oceans

Protecting our planet for future generations

Two scientists on board a boat at sea

Microbiologist Kim Halsey and postdoc Cleo Davie-Martin initiate incubations on the R/V Atlantis to quantify carbon cycling in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The College of Science forms the intellectual core of Oregon State’s Marine Studies Initiative, a bold, campus-wide effort to address the threats facing our oceans with world-leading marine science research and teaching, global leadership and pioneering collaboration with government and industry partners.

Our teams of marine scientists and students, including ecologists and biodiversity researchers, employ the genetic sequencing and data science tools and robotic ocean sensors to deepen our understanding of the biology, ecology and evolution of life in the sea. Our marine science research helps to preserve the ocean’s diversity, better manage fisheries, and safeguard against the impacts of climate change.

Out there, all hands are on deck.

Unique internship opportunities and field courses immerse our students in the coastal ecology of the Pacific Northwest and prepare them for diverse marine science careers. Students work side-by-side with scientists on research vessels out at sea and on land along more than 360 miles of Oregon Coast and in specialized labs at OSU’s world-class Hatfield Marine Science Center.

“It’s an exciting time to be a climate scientist. We really try to make sure that our science serves the people of Oregon.”

Francis Chan

Director, Cooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Resources Studies

Bridging science and society

Two people on a fishing boat haul in a crab pot containing Dungeness crabs.
A person standing on a canoe on an expanse of turquoise water.
OSU stock image of oyster
Pelican sitting on rock in front of ocean
Chinook salmon swimming upstream
Earth from space

With $4.2M in support from NOAA, ecologist Francis Chan and collaborators from 8 institutions are working with Tribal and industry partners to understand how stressors (ocean acidification, hypoxia, harmful algal blooms and increasing temperatures) impact Dungeness crabs and the communities dependent on them. By modeling future climate impacts, the research team can assess resource management tools and provide recommendations to bolster stressor readiness.

Marine protected areas are areas protected from human use to support conservation, marine biodiversity and sustainable fisheries — but the MPA restrictions can vary widely from area to area, limiting conservation and making it difficult to understand what proportion of marine ecosystems are truly protected. Marine ecologists Kirsten Grorud-Colvert and Jenna Sullivan-Stack and collaborators developed The MPA Guide, a science-based tool and framework that identifies different types of MPAs and connects these types of MPAs with the outcomes they are expected to achieve.

Microbiologist Ryan Mueller and collaborators from the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Agricultural Science found that treating one day old oyster larvae with a single dose of probiotics significantly boosted larvae survival rates from a common bacteria. This discovery is a huge boon for oyster farms in Oregon (~$12M industry) and all along the west coast because these marine pathogens can devastate entire seasons of larvae, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses. The research team envisions applying the probiotic treatment as freeze-dried material that can be sprinkled into spawning buckets, a simple and cost effective solution for farmers.

NOAA’s $1.2 million Ocean Technology Transition program supports the transition of emerging marine observation technology from research to operation. College of Science and College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences researchers are working with industry, Tribal and government partners to develop a low-cost sensor that collects and shares data in an automated and easy to use way, such as an app with notifications.

The freshwater parasites C. shasta and P. minibicornis can cause disease in salmonids downstream of the dams in the Klamath River. Less is known about these parasites in the hydroelectric reach, the region between the dams, and raises the question of how the project reach and proximal river sections will change following dam removal in 2024. Microbiologists Jerri Bartholomew, Julie Alexander and Sascha Hallett are part of a collaborative project with ODFW and CDFW fish biologists that quantifies and documents parasite distribution and host density and infection in the hydroelectric project reaches.

Ecologist Jane Lubchenco, a world-renowned scientist and influential policy leader who served in both the Obama and Biden administrations, is a longtime champion of redefining the role of science in society. She champions a modern “social contract” for scientists — one that values both the pursuit of foundational knowledge and a responsibility to engage with society. This includes addressing urgent global challenges and actively supporting colleagues and students who work to translate science into practical solutions.

Innovations driving climate and ocean solutions

Related centers and facilities

  • Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans
    Oregon State plays a leading role in PISCO, a powerhouse of marine research focused on sustaining ocean life and coastal communities. Co-founded and shaped by Bruce Menge, a leading intertidal ecologist, and Jane Lubchenco, a former White House science advisor, PISCO has brought together researchers to study the California Current ecosystem for over 25 years. In 2023, PISCO scientists and their partners released updated biodiversity datasets that reveal how coastal ecosystems are changing. These data are freely available to researchers and resource managers, supporting ongoing marine conservation and monitoring.
  • Oregon Sea Grant
    Established at Oregon State University in 1971 as one of the first four Sea Grant College Programs designated in the nation, Oregon Sea Grant is cooperative program between NOAA and OSU that has served the region through an integrated program of research, outreach and education. Directed by zoology alumna Karina Nielsen, Sea Grant collaborates with community; industry and conservation groups; researchers; teachers and students; tribes; resource managers; and political leaders to address the needs of Oregon's coastal communities and ecosystems.
  • Cooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Resources Studies
    CIMERS brings together research partners across OSU and NOAA to tackle complex multidisciplinary issues related to the marine environment and the sustainable use and management of marine resources.
  • Hatfield Marine Science Center
    Located in nearby Newport, Oregon, Hatfield Marine Science Center is Oregon State University’s marine lab. College of Science researchers at Hatfield engage in multidisciplinary research with investigators across seven OSU colleges and five state and federal agencies in a highly collaborative atmosphere. The Center also supports classes for science students, providing unique, hands-on opportunities on Oregon’s coast.

Marine science careers can take you in all directions.

Oregon State graduates in marine science start careers in academia, industry, government and non-profit organizations to do hands-on research, protect our oceans and other water resources, educate the public, treat illness and disease, engage in policy work and cultivate and harvest aquatic resources sustainably.