March 1, 2005

New Marine Science Building Receives Federal Funds to House Marine Sanctuary Offices

Gail Gallessich

UCSB's Marine Science Institute will expand its partnership with the Channel Island National Marine Sanctuary in a new center that will be built at UCSB partly with federal funds. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Lois Capps were instrumental in gaining the funds for the new building.

The Outreach Center for Teaching Ocean Science (OCTOS), an educational outreach program of UCSB's Marine Science Institute, will receive a federal grant of $4 million, it was announced at a campus news conference on Feb. 23.

The administrative offices of the CINMS will be housed at the center, which will be built next to the new Marine Science Institute building. It is expected to be completed in three years. Approximately 180 schoolchildren per day will be able to visit the new facility, which will house aquariums, exhibits, and an immersion theatre designed to give viewers the impression of being undersea.

"We value our joint programs with the sanctuary, and we look forward to being able to share the resources of our university with them," said UCSB Chancellor Henry T. Yang. "This shared facility will allow us to work together even more closely, economically, and effectively on marine science and policy research as well as education and outreach."

Yang gratefully acknowledged the visionary leadership of Sen. Feinstein and Rep. Capps. Although Feinstein could not attend, Capps was present at the news conference. "I think the public wins every way you look at it," she said.

Also present at the news conference were Chris Mobley, manager of the Sanctuary, and Ali Whitmer, director of education for the MSI. Whitmer stressed the synergy that will come from the joining of the two organizations under one roof.

CINMS is part of a national program to protect natural and cultural resources and is one of 12 marine sanctuaries around the country. Funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, sanctuary waters provide a safe haven for species close to extinction. CINMS encompasses the waters that surround Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel and Santa Barbara islands.

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The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.