Oregon Sea Grant offers a variety of interactive opportunities for school groups at Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC). Lab and Field Experiences (grades K-12) include live animals classes, dissections, and field classes while our Marine Exploration and Technology Days are a limited time only opportunity for grades 6-12. Details are outlined below and we hope to see you at HMSC soon!
Marine Exploration & Technology Days
NEW!! Teachers of grades 6-8 and 9-12 are invited to participate in MET days at Hatfield Marine Science Center this November 2025 through April 2026. These immersive STEM days include 2-3 hours of hands-on classes and 1-hour of visitor center exploration. Due to the sponsorship from the NSF-supported Regional Class Research Vessel Project, MET day registration is FREE to public schools (grades 6-12), valued at $25 per student. Lunch and transportation costs are not included. Classes will be scheduled between 9 am and 4 pm and will accommodate each school’s preferred arrival and departure times. Groups greater than 60 students should contact [email protected] prior to submitting a formal request. Dates are limited and pre-registration is required. Review the class descriptions below, select the classes that best fit your educational goals, and submit your trip request today!
MET Day Class Options
Grades: 6-8 only
Time: 1-hour
Description: In this hands-on marine engineering challenge, students will work in teams to design and construct their own model research vessel. Each team will create a vessel design plan complete with a cost estimate, then bring their ideas to life using provided materials. Along the way, they’ll learn how design, buoyancy, and teamwork come together to support scientific research at sea.
Special notes: this is an indoor lab class, no special equipment is required.
Grades: 6-12
Time: 1-hour
Description: How do scientists explore and collect samples from the deep ocean? In this marine engineering challenge, students will learn about Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and the important role they play in ocean research and exploration. Working in design teams, students will create a model “Helping Hand” that can grab and move objects at a distance, simulating the tools used on real ROVs.
Special notes: this is an indoor lab class, no special equipment is required.
Grades: 6-12
Time: 1-hour
Description: Launching and recovering scientific equipment from a moving vessel is no easy task! In this marine engineering challenge, students will design and build a working model of a hydraulic launch and recovery system using everyday materials. Their systems must safely lift, lower, and retrieve “scientific packages” of different sizes and weights while minimizing swinging.
Special notes: this is an indoor lab class, no special equipment is required.
Grades: 6-12
Time: 1-hour
Description: What lies beneath? Students will dive into the world of marine technology as they explore how scientists use multi-beam sonar on research vessels to map the sea floor. In this hands-on lab activity, students will simulate how sonar data collection works by creating a three-dimensional map that uncovers the hidden landscape beneath the surface.
Special notes: this is an indoor lab class, no special equipment is required.
Grades: 6-12
Time: 1.5-hours
Description: Learn the vital role plankton serve in marine food webs in this combination field and lab experience. Students will use plankton nets to collect their own samples from the Yaquina Bay estuary, then identify their finds using microscopes back in the lab. After visualizing plankton shapes and adaptations, students will team up to design and test their own plankton models. An engaging plankton challenge will reveal which plankton model sinks the slowest and the adaptations that contributed to the success.
Special notes: a portion of this class involves heading outside to our nearby estuary, rubber boots and rain gear are strongly recommended.
Grades: 9-12 only
Time: 1.5-hours
Description: Students will explore real ocean data collected by Oregon State University’s autonomous underwater glider, Jane. Through hands-on data visualization and analysis, they’ll explore how scientists use gliders to study the ocean and monitor changes over time. Using Jane’s data, students will identify relationships between variables like temperature and salinity, and uncover how these factors are related to ocean circulation and mixing.
Special notes: this is an indoor lab class, no special equipment is required.
Lab and Field Experiences
We offer a variety of one and two hour classes for schools and other educational groups. Topics include marine technology, animal adaptations, field sampling, data collection and more. Classes are now available to schedule all year. Please review the logistics and classes listed below and submit your registration. Classes are scheduled in the order received via our online registration system.
Please note that we host our lab and field experiences Monday through Friday; however, our Visitor Center is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays from Labor Day through Memorial Day. Therefore, if you prefer to include Visitor Center exploration as part of your trip, plan to prioritize a Monday, Thursday or Friday. The Visitor Center can be opened upon request for field trips on Tuesdays, please inquire.
NEW (Fall 2025) - Due to increased economic hardship being experience by schools, limited scholarships are available to help offset fees for lab and field experiences. This funding is made possible via grants from the Roundhouse Foundation and Braemer Charitable Trust and are available on a first-come, first-served basis to those schools who qualify. Priority will be given to Title 1 schools visiting from October - April. Please review and submit a scholarship request form and allow 2-4 weeks for processing. Contact [email protected] with questions.
Reservation Details
- Classes: Review list of lab and field experiences
- Cost: $7 per student/per hour; minimum fee $85/hour
- Scheduling: Annually, September through June
- Time: 1-2 hours long, available M-F, 9 am - 5 pm
- Field Trip Request: Complete online in advance - Register Now!
- Confirmation: Requests are reviewed and confirmed via email
- Payment: Checks or Purchase Orders are accepted the day of the trip; credit card payments can be made via the online system before or day of the trip. Credit card charges will appear as "OSU PreCollege Programs" on your billing statement.
- Chaperones: One admitted free for every five students
- Cancellations: $75 fee per program hour for cancellations made within 48 hours of an event
- Change Headcount: To change the number of students contact the Marine Education Coordinator
- Know Before You Go! Review day-of-trip logistics and student expectations ahead of time.
Visitor Center Exploration
Groups may also add Visitor Center exploration to their trip. Labor Day through Memorial Day, our Visitor Center is open Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday), 10 am to 4 pm. All groups and/or other groups larger than 15 are required to purchase tickets in advance. Groups larger than 30 may be asked to split their time between visitor center exploration and alternative activities to ensure equitable access to our exhibits.
- Costs for K-12 Groups:
- Complimentary if participating in classes, pre-register here (select "Visitor Center Exploration (Complementary with Lab or Field class)")
- $5 per person if only exploring visitor center, buy tickets
- Costs for Community Groups: $5 per person, buy tickets
Quests
Consider doing a Quest while at Hatfield! We recommend two self-guided Quests that begin at HMSC; review the directions:
- Nature Trail Quest (pdf)
- Tsunami Building Quest (pdf)
Also, read "Tips for Questing with School Groups" (pdf) to help you plan your adventure.
Lab Classes
Time: 1 hour
Description: Students will learn about a variety of marine organisms and their needs for survival as they create miniature ocean habitats complete with algae, snails, crabs, barnacles, food and shelter.
Pre-visit materials: (pdf) (accessible HTML)
Special notes: Live animal interactions
Grades: Pre-K - 2nd
Time: 1 hour
Description: Through hands-on exploration, students discover the sticky parts of live sea anemones, sea urchins and other marine organisms. Find out what causes the stickiness, and learn how being adhesive helps animals defend themselves, capture food or maintain their position in tide pools.
Pre-visit materials: none
Special notes: Live animal interactions
Grades: 3rd - adult
Time: 1 hour
Description: Observe a variety of marine animals from sandy beaches, estuaries and rocky shores. Investigate the adaptations they have for surviving in these marine environments.
Pre-visit materials: (pdf) (accessible HTML)
Special notes: Live animal interactions
Grades: 3rd - adult
Time: 1 hour
Description: Students participate in live crab races, form hypotheses, and design experiments to test them. What variables determine which crabs are faster? Is it size, species, sex, or number of appendages? Join us as we investigate in this engaging program!
Pre-visit materials: (pdf) (accessible HTML)
Special notes: Live animal interactions
Grades: 4th - adult
Time: 1 hour
Description: Investigate the external and internal anatomy of squid while studying how these invertebrates are adapted for life in the sea. Students will also learn how to use dissection tools and proper dissection techniques
Pre-visit materials: (pdf) (accessible HTML)
Special notes: none
**Available while supplies last**
Grades: 5th - adult
Time: 1 hour
Description: Learn about the external and internal anatomy of bony fish species while gaining an understanding of the purpose of various organs. Discover how data is collected by researchers and used to manage fish populations.
Pre-visit materials: none
Special notes: none
Grades: 5th - adult
Time: 1 hour
Description: Discover the rocky intertidal habitat and the diverse creatures that live there, all in the lab. Learn about the environmental forces that make this ever-changing habitat a challenging place to live, while investigating the relationships among living things and the interactions between them.
Pre-visit materials: (pdf) (accessible HTML)
Special notes: Live animal interactions
Grades: 5th - adult
Time: 1 hour
Description: Work together as a class to assemble the skeleton of a 16-foot-long Cuvier’s beaked whale. Students will also learn about the differences and similarities of toothed and baleen whales using real whale teeth, baleen and other biofacts.
Pre-visit materials: none
Special notes: none
Grades: 6th - adult
Time: 2 hours
Description: In this hands-on program, students are introduced to Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and challenged to work in teams to design mini-ROVs that will be used to complete a mission. This engaging class meets engineering design science standards while promoting teamwork and critical thinking skills. This program is partially outdoors - rain gear recommended!
Pre-visit materials: (pdf) (accessible HTML)
Special notes: none
Classes in the Field
Grades: all ages
Time: 1 hour
Description: Discover estuaries and the critical habitat they provide as we explore plant and animal life along the Yaquina Bay. Collect and observe a variety of organisms found in the unique environment of mudflats and learn about their adaptations.
Pre-visit materials: (pdf) (accessible HTML)
Special notes: Live animal interactions; boots and rain gear highly recommended - no flip flops; low tide required for this class. Input your visit into the NOAA Tide Prediction tool at South Beach for dates and times.
Grades: 5th - adult
Time: 1 hour
Description: Use plankton nets to collect samples from the Yaquina Bay, then identify plankton using microscopes in this combination field and lab program. Students will learn about the importance of plankton to the survival of all marine organisms and observe filter feeders consuming plankton in this hands-on program. Boots are required for this program, as students need to wade into the estuary to collect plankton samples.
Pre-visit materials: (pdf) (accessible HTML)
Special notes: Live animal interactions; boots and rain gear highly recommended - no flip flops.
Grades: 6th - adult
Time: 2 hour
Description: Discover estuaries and the critical habitat they provide as we explore plant and animal life along the Yaquina Bay. Collect and observe a variety of organisms found in the unique environment of mudflats, and learn about their adaptations. Examine collected specimens further in our wet lab. Learn about current research being conducted and help collect data for use by researchers.
Pre-visit materials: none
Special notes: Live animal interactions; boots and rain gear highly recommended - no flip flops; low tide required for this class. Input your visit into the NOAA Tide Prediction tool at South Beach for dates and times.
Confirmation Process
After you make your online field trip request, you will receive an automatic confirmation message.
The trip is not officially registered until the Marine Education Coordinator reviews your request. They will contact you with any questions, and send a final trip approval email with a cost estimate and essential trip details.
Review confirmation email to ensure dates and classes are correct.
Cost is based on the number of students and chaperons registered.
Headcounts may be adjusted without penalty up to 48 hours prior to your visit. To change headcounts contact the Marine Education Coordinator.
Payment
Access your invoice via the online registration system.
Credit card payments can be made at any time before or after your visit using the online registration system.
Checks and purchase orders should be made payable to "HMSC Sea Grant" and mailed to HMSC, 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365.
If you are paying on the day of your trip, we only accept checks or purchase orders.
Bringing fewer students the day of the program due to illness or other absence will not result in a fee reduction or refund.
Fees will be charged for additional students or chaperones brought on the day of your visit.