The Oregon Institute of Marine Biology supports resident UO faculty who conduct world-renowned research in the areas of invertebrate zoology, larval ecology, marine ecology, deep-sea biology, and cell biology. OIMB has extensive facilities and equipment available to visiting researchers for conducting marine biology research. From laboratories to an ROV to a small fleet of boats, we have everything you need to explore the rich diversity of marine life on the Oregon Coast.
Faculty Research Labs
Aaron Galloway is an Associate Professor at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, the coastal marine lab of the University of Oregon. Dr. Galloway leads the Coastal Trophic Ecology Lab, which is generally focused on kelp forest ecology, trophic inferences in marine benthic food webs, with an emphasis on algae-invertebrate interactions.
Richard Emlet’s lab studies evolutionary ecology of marine invertebrate larvae and newly metamorphosed juveniles. On going studies include explorations of new larval forms among echinoderms, functional morphology of barnacle cyprids, and biogeographical patterns of developmental modes in NE Pacific, southern Australia and Panama.
Research in the Maslakova lab is focused on the biodiversity, systematics and evolution of marine invertebrates, including both benthic adult and planktonic larval stages. We routinely discover new species and larval forms, connect larvae and adults using DNA barcoding, and learn how larvae make a living in the plankton.
Sutherland is focused on animal-fluid interactions in the ocean and the central, yet underappreciated, roles that gelatinous animals play in marine ecosystems.
I use light microscopes and video to capture cell shape change and behavior, morphogenesis in developing embryos, and functional traits of invertebrate larvae. Ongoing research ranges from the mechanisms of embryonic cell division and excitability of the cell cortex, to swimming and feeding behaviors of planktonic larvae.
Research Opportunities for Undergraduates
OIMB offers hands-on research experiences to undergraduates in our research labs, through our “Exploration of Marine Biology on the Oregon Coast” REU program, and through internships with local partner institutions.
Browse Our Library
OIMB employees and students have 24/7 access to the Rippey Library, located on the OIMB campus. OIMB and the University of Oregon Libraries maintain two in-house publications about our local marine invertebrates:
- Oregon Estuarine Invertebrates lists common estuarine and intertidal organisms.
- Oregon Shelf Invertebrates covers subtidal organisms.
Take a Dive
Interested in scientific diving at OIMB? Here’s what you need to know about our licensed divers, available equipment, and safety practices.