UW News

May 13, 2015

Friday Harbor Labs event May 16 features marine science, scuba demos

UW News

If you’re looking for an escape this weekend, hop a ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island and check out UW marine science research ranging from invertebrates and plankton to quirky fish and ocean acidification.

a photo from last year's open house.

Exploring marine science at last year’s open house event.Kathy Cowell, UW

The UW’s Friday Harbor Laboratories will host its annual open house Saturday, May 16, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the campus in Friday Harbor, about a mile from the ferry terminal. The event is free and open to the public.

Organizers expect more than 700 people at this year’s event, which encourages participation from the local island communities as well as from the Seattle area. Many of the scientists, staff and students working at the labs will be helping with the event, one of the largestĀ each year.

Most of the demonstrations will take place outside, and visitors can walk around on self-guided tours to learn about ongoing research at the labs. They can step aboard the 58-foot research vessel Centennial and check out its remotely operated vehicle, oceanographic tools and high-tech sonar systems.

Scuba diving demonstrations, complete with an underwater camera, will take place on the dock at 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.

Several talks are scheduled in the main lecture hall, including:

  • 1 p.m. “A short history of Friday Harbor Labs” (Claudia Mills)
  • 2 p.m. “Trans-generational effects of ocean acidification on marine mollusks” (Carolyn Friedman)
  • 3 p.m. “The known, the unknown, and the misknown: Biodiversity of the most-studied marine fauna in the U.S.” (Gustav Paulay)

Visit the Friday Harbor Labs website for more details, including travel and lodging information.