Who are we?

The University of Rhode Island’s Marine Science Research Facility and Trout Farm Research Facility serve as ideal platforms for experiential learning and outreach experiences. The MSRF is located at the Graduate School of Oceanography, on the Narragansett Bay Campus, at the mouth of Narragansett Bay. It hosts a broad spectrum of local, regional, and global research topics, including, but not limited to, soil chemistry, fluid dynamics, toxicology, fish feed formulations, neuropeptids, physiology, ecology, and biofouling.

The trout research facility is a five-system, fully recirculating or partial flow-through, freshwater aquaculture farm. Four of the systems contain eight 6-foot, 410-gallon polyethelene tanks (32 total) and one system with 20 3-foot, 30-gallon tanks, all with drum-filter screen filtration, fluidized sand bioreactors, CO2 degassing tower, UV and cold water temperature control. All systems are equipped with 24/7 water quality monitors for dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, conductivity and pump/filter function.  All systems are on emergency generator power and ability to revert to flow through in emergencies.  

Our needs

We aim to bring a better understanding of marine science, local estuary stewardship and hands-on aquaculture practices. The MSRF is a key component of the Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR outreach programs, and that engagement can be extended to the East Farm freshwater recirculating systems for undergraduate and middle school/high school students.

What we offer

With access to Narragansett Bay, the MSRF boasts nearly unlimited outdoor space, large amount of indoor wet lab space, benches to hold class modules, white dry erase board for teaching, customized temperature flowing filtered or unfiltered seawater, environmental temperature controlled chambers, multiple local marine animals, ongoing scientific research studies and the ability to speak with current students/researchers, access to facility managers for project planning and execution, and hosting tours.

East Farm currently hosts URI aquaculture undergraduate courses, visiting scientists and is open for tours. It has a large amount of wet lab space, a state of the art freshwater recirculating system, genetically distinct populations of Rainbow trout, ability to spawn, rear eggs, system building (tools, tanks, and accessories), bench lab space, agarose gel boxes, tubes, pipettes, etc. Currently housing rainbow trout, the facility could provide for other species with similar environmental needs.  The facility also has the ability to spawn and house salmonid eggs in a flow-through rack system and hatchling sorting.

Contact

Danielle Duquette, East Farm Trout Research Facility Manager and Marine Research Assistant II, responsible for managing the operation of the East Farm Trout Research Facility and the Marine Science Research Facility; helps create and run brief modules for visiting school groups, provides tours of the facilities and assists with the aquaculture courses held at East Farm.

Email: Danielle Duquette