Renovation of Research and Education Spaces at the Telonicher Marine Laboratory, Humboldt State University

Cal Poly Humboldt Sponsored Programs Foundation, Arcata CA

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports renovation of classroom and office space at the Fred Telonicher Marine Laboratory. Located in Trinidad, CA, the laboratory provides access to a variety of nearby marine and terrestrial habitats, including an extensive rocky intertidal zone, sand beaches, protected and exposed subtidal areas, lagoons and estuaries, mudflats, eelgrass beds, and submarine canyons. The Laboratory's main building includes two large classrooms, 14 offices for faculty and graduate students, research labs and additional space used to support education and research activities. A filtered seawater system supplies classrooms, a large wet laboratory with numerous holding tanks, and a small public aquarium. The Laboratory offers a diverse set of marine-oriented research and educational programs, including college level courses, graduate research, K-12 programming, and self-guided tours for the general public. The Laboratory's close proximity to a variety of habitats and the ability to maintain a wide variety of organisms at the laboratory permit "hands on" laboratory and field experiences for students. Fifteen faculty members regularly use the marine facilities for research and teaching. The amount and quality of existing laboratory space, offices and classrooms has made it difficult for the Laboratory to accommodate visiting scientists, additional faculty and more students. Using the support provided by this award, the institution will renovate three large rooms to create additional research space and to improve the quality and utility of space currently used for teaching and faculty offices. The renovated classrooms will provide a far superior space for conducting course lectures and laboratories. Separate rooms will allow the Laboratory to offer two courses concurrently, making more space available for new classes. The lecture and laboratory courses to be offered will include: biological oceanography, chemical oceanography, geological oceanography, zooplankton ecology, and estuarine ecology. In addition all three rooms will meet ADA requirements for wheelchair access as a result of the renovations.