Ocean Institute – California’s Golden Coast (103)

Where can a student explore the ice fields of Europa or conduct an underwater excavation on the sunken Jamaican city of Port Royal? At the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, of course. Huell visits the Ocean Institute, a non-profit organization founded in 1977 and dedicated to ocean preservation through education. For 25 years, the institute has been used by educators as a hands-on laboratory for schoolchildren to learn about marine science and maritime history. In late 2002, the opening of the institute’s new Ocean Education Center expanded its goal of education with an impressive 34,000 square-foot campus that includes a 15,000 gallon seawater system, an impressive collection of oceanographic testing equipment and over 20 student learning stations. The new facility is a model for future interactive environmental education programs throughout the world, while continuing to promote ocean awareness and understanding.