Oregon Institute of Marine Biology

 

Study on the Oregon Coast

At the University of Oregon’s marine lab, the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, we combine world-class research in marine sciences with immersive undergraduate and graduate education and community engagement.

Students and teacher conducting research on marine life

Get a Degree in Marine Biology

The University of Oregon offers a rigorous undergraduate major in Marine Biology, as well as master’s and doctorate programs. Our marine biology majors spend a full academic year studying at OIMB.

Look How Far We’ve Come

A hundred years ago, the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology began as a humble camp on the coast. Today, watch as students in Dr. Rowan McLachlan’s Biological Oceanography class conduct a research cruise on the Megalopa, where they use a range of oceanographic equipment to sample seawater salinity, chlorophyll and phosphate concentration, zooplankton density, and more.

Group of researchers standing together in front of a research vessel

Engage in Marine Research

OIMB faculty and graduate students conduct world-renowned research in marine science. Students have numerous opportunities to conduct research in OIMB faculty’s labs, internships with local partners and our NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates program.

Lounge room filled with displays of marine life

Explore Marine Life

As the public outreach center of OIMB, the Charleston Marine Life Center highlights the diversity of marine life off Oregon’s coast and university research. The center offers public hours and both K-12 and public programming.

Cliffs and ocean with rocks in the foreground

Study Oregon Coast Habitats

OIMB is located in one of the most spectacular places anywhere to study marine organisms and ecosystems. From rocky intertidal and the Coos Bay Estuary to kelp forests and the deep-sea, OIMB has access to it all.

Oregon Institute of Marine Biology News and Events

BIOLOGY - New in 2025, the Coastal Quarter program allows undergraduates from all majors to spend winter term living at the coast and taking classes in marine biology, environmental studies, anthropology and science communication. Out of the nine students who participated this year, five are majoring in either environmental sciences or environmental studies; four are marine biology majors; and one is a sports journalism major.
OIMB, BIOLOGY - At the Charleston Marine Life Center a growing collection of unique organisms serve as underwater ambassadors between UO researchers, local community partners, and the public. It’s a place where UO scientists share their discoveries with the public and community members rally around the preservation of local marine life.
ANTHROPOLOGY, BIOLOGY, EARTH SCIENCES - Students in the College of Arts and Sciences have the opportunity this winter to take classes on the picturesque Oregon Coast at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology.

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Cinema Studies Presents: Cinema Gear Demos with B&H and Sony
Oct30
Cinema Studies Presents: Cinema Gear Demos with B&H and Sony Oct 30 Villard Hall
Live Lit West
Oct30
Live Lit West Oct 30 Tsunami Books
Character Matters
Oct31
Character Matters Oct 31 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Research Talk: Deportation, Legal Violence, and Migration to the US
Oct31
Research Talk: Deportation, Legal Violence, and Migration to the US Oct 31 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Halloween Night at the Aquarium
Oct31
Halloween Night at the Aquarium Oct 31 Charleston Marine Life Center
Seminar - Native Ion Thermochemistry for All: From First Principles to Rapid Structure Characterization and Ligand Screening with Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry
Nov3
Seminar - Native Ion Thermochemistry for All: From First Principles to Rapid Structure Characterization and Ligand Screening with Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Nov 3 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Department of History Coffee Hour
Nov4
Department of History Coffee Hour Nov 4 McKenzie Hall
Dept. of History Seminar Series: "Chasing the Wind: Ezo Maps and the Transformation of Maritime Culture in 19C Japan"
Nov4
Dept. of History Seminar Series: "Chasing the Wind: Ezo Maps and the Transformation of Maritime Culture in 19C Japan" Nov 4 McKenzie Hall
Psychology Study Abroad Programs
Nov5
Psychology Study Abroad Programs Nov 5 Straub Hall
Yoko McClain Roundtable Discussion: "A Page of Madness"
Nov5
Yoko McClain Roundtable Discussion: "A Page of Madness" Nov 5 Knight Library

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Land Acknowledgement

The Oregon Institute of Marine Biology is located on the traditional lands of the Miluk Coos people who have managed these lands for abundance since time immemorial. We recognize the continued connection of the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, the Coquille (ko-KWELL) Indian Tribe, and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians to these lands and waters and the Tribes’ ongoing stewardship of this important place.