OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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The Oregon Sea Grant-operated Visitor Center is the public education wing of the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. More than 150,000 people pass through the doors of the Visitor Center every year to see the exhibits, join in hands-on activities and learn about marine animals and issues facing the coast.
We currently do not have an octopus on exhibit. While the octopus is away, we will have skates in the tank. The big skate is the largest species of skate in the waters off North America. They live along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California, typically from the intertidal zone to 390 feet deep. Big skates feed on benthic invertebrates and small fishes.
We like to keep a backup octopus for when the tank's occupant needs a break or is ready to release back into the ocean to breed. We gladly accept live octopus donations from the fishing community, recreational fishers, tide poolers and beachcombers who have a state-issued shellfish license. Contact our aquarist if you have an octopus to donate.
Roll up your sleeves and touch marine animals in our tidepool tanks! Gently pet fish, abalone and sea stars. Discover what happens when you stroke the sticky tentacles of a sea anemone. Friendly volunteers are on hand to answer questions and help you explore.
How do tsunamis affect structures on the coast? Take the Tsunami Wave Tank Engineering Challenge! See if you can build something that will withstand the energy of a tsunami wave.
Visitors of all ages are welcome to play in this sandbox. At this exhibit, you move the sand in the sandbox and watch how the contour lines, projected on the sand, change. These contour lines, just like the ones on maps, mark different elevations.
Hatfield Marine Science Center Visitor Center
2030 SE Marine Science Drive
Newport, OR 97365-5229
Phone: 541-867-0100; Option 2
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