An opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at the Narragansett Bay Campus
September 8, 2021
All are invited to a family-friendly day at the University of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay Campus, home to the Graduate School of Oceanography and a world-renowned community of coastal and ocean scientists, engineers, policy experts, educators, and communicators.
Science Saturday will be an opportunity for guests of all ages to learn the latest in marine exploration, discovery, science and management. The free event is also a chance for guests to take part in behind-the-scenes tours, interactive experiences and conversations with a wide variety of ocean experts.
The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the University’s Bay Campus, 215 South Ferry Road, Narragansett.
“I am so excited that Rhode Islanders and other visitors have a chance to meet the people who are pushing the boundaries of our understanding of the world’s ocean and coastal waters, and are working to conserve its resources for future generations and a healthy blue economy,” said GSO Dean Paula S. Bontempi. “This is GSO’s 60th anniversary year, and what better way to celebrate than to inspire the next generation of ocean explorers and stewards? With established and emerging researchers, entrepreneurs, blue economy experts and so many other ocean professionals working right here on campus, we can’t wait to share our vision for the future of Earth’s oceans.”
With its theme of “Ocean Science for the Ocean State,” Science Saturday offers something for everyone. The interactive ocean science exhibits will explore topics including plastics and contaminant pollution in Narragansett Bay, predicting extreme weather events like hurricanes and their impact on our coasts, deep ocean exploration and the hidden world of underwater sound. Guests are invited to join in fun activities like chemistry magic tricks, volcanic eruption demonstrations and getting up close with a 12-foot-long model of the new research vessel Narragansett Dawn, which is slated to homeport at the Bay Campus starting in 2023.
There will also be several guided tours:
- Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center, headquarters for the Rhode Island Atomic Energy Commission;
- Inner Space Center, a one-of-a-kind national facility that supports live ocean exploration via telepresence technology;
- Marine Geological Samples Lab, one of four National Science Foundation-funded sample repositories for deep-sea cores, dredge rocks and land-based geological samples;
- Ann Gall Durbin Aquarium, a facility at the water’s edge of biologically rich Narragansett Bay which allows access to organisms and flowing seawater essential to the collection, maintenance and study of marine life; and
- URI Ocean Engineering program facilities for studying acoustics and building robotics and new instruments for studying the oceans.
A stage on the campus quad will feature a series of fun and fascinating talks, including a live ship-to-shore interaction with researchers aboard the exploration vessel Nautilus and an ocean science career workshop.
Online registration for some tours are required in advance and, as required by State of Rhode Island COVID-19 guidelines, all guests are asked to register for Science Saturday. Opportunities to register in-person will also be available on the day of the event.