Marine Bio 101

A profile of the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology
  • Did you know? Through the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, the UO offers the only undergraduate marine biology degree in the state of Oregon.
  • • OIMB, located near Cape Arago on the southern Oregon coast, includes 23 buildings on 100 acres of land.
  • • The UO has been conducting research in marine biology since 1924.
  • • The marine biology major was established in 2004. Since then, more than 75 students have received marine biology degrees.
  • • In addition to jobs in academia, marine biology graduates go on to become state or federal fisheries biologists, fisheries observers and biologists, environmental specialists, doctors, dentists, veterinarians, aquarists, school teachers and community educators.
  • • Courses include Estuarine Biology, Biological Oceanography, Marine Environmental Issues, Animal Behavior, Invertebrate Zoology, Subtidal and Deep-Sea Ecology, Marine Birds and Mammals and Biology of Fishes. 
  • • OIMB offers a course that takes students to the Caribbean coast of Panama to study the biology of tropical coastal habitats.
  • • OIMB’s fleet includes flat-bottom aluminum boats for use in the estuaries, an inflatable Zodiac that can be used near shore in the open sea, a 42-foot inboard trawler that can be used up to 20 miles offshore, a 20-foot covered aluminum boat for use in Coos Bay and a large kayak for estuarine work.
  • • Marine biology majors are required to spend three terms at OIMB, typically in their junior or senior year. They stay in dorms onsite (shown above).
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