Follow Newport's Hydrographic Line

 

Using an interactive touch table, visitors can travel along the Newport Hydrographic Line. For over 60 years, researchers have been monitoring this 250-nautical mile swath of the Pacific Ocean that runs directly out from Yaquina Head.

Along this line, scientists collect plankton and document temperature, salinity, water clarity, ocean currents and more. The data collected here provide insights into marine heatwaves, ocean acidification, low oxygen and harmful algal blooms.

By tapping on photos on the touch table, you can learn about the equipment used on the Line and what types of data scientists collect.

This exhibit was created by Oregon Sea Grant Summer Scholar Alex Ang. She used content from a story map about the history of the Line developed by Nancy Steinberg, a science writer in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University.

 

Below is a video of scientists deploying monitoring equipment in the ocean along the Line.