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 - Marine biologist Alan Shanks has a simple trap that allows him to predict the amount of Dungeness crab will be available for fisherfolk. For the past 25 years, Shanks has compared the yields of the winter commercial catch to the baby crabs his water-jug trap collects each summer. He’s found that the number of baby crabs that arrive on the coast can be used to estimate the size of the state’s commercial harvest of adult Dungeness crab years in the future, with a 12 percent margin of error.
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.

All news »

Winter Career Readiness Week (Jan 23-30)
Jan28
Winter Career Readiness Week (Jan 23-30) Jan 28
NW-NALRC Consultation and Assistance Time
Jan28
NW-NALRC Consultation and Assistance Time Jan 28
GitHub Portfolios for Job Seekers (Career Readiness Workshop)
Jan28
GitHub Portfolios for Job Seekers (Career Readiness Workshop) Jan 28 Knight Library
Creative Writing Reading Series Presents: Michelle Peñaloza
Jan28
Creative Writing Reading Series Presents: Michelle Peñaloza Jan 28 Knight Library
Real Estate Investment Group Meeting
Jan28
Real Estate Investment Group Meeting Jan 28 Lillis Business Complex
Winter Career Readiness Week (Jan 23-30)
Jan29
Winter Career Readiness Week (Jan 23-30) Jan 29
Winter Career & Internship Expo
Jan29
Winter Career & Internship Expo Jan 29 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
"Beyond the Buzz: Finding the Signal in a Noisy World"
Jan29
"Beyond the Buzz: Finding the Signal in a Noisy World" Jan 29 The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts
PBK Visiting Scholar Public Lecture: "Federal Civil Rights Cases by and against the Trump Administration"
Jan29
PBK Visiting Scholar Public Lecture: "Federal Civil Rights Cases by and against the Trump Administration" Jan 29 William W. Knight Law Center
Winter Career Readiness Week (Jan 23-30)
Jan30
Winter Career Readiness Week (Jan 23-30) Jan 30

All events »

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.