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SeaFest returns to Newport in 2007
December 14, 2006
NEWPORT, Ore. – Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center is planning to bring back its biggest and most popular public event, SeaFest, on the weekend of June 23, 2007.
The event means fun for all members of the family in a variety of way, with tours of the facility and its workings, special exhibits, and an opportunity to talk with scientists about their research in marine biology, aquaculture, fisheries and deep-sea exploration. Visitors can tour the research vessels, and enjoy live music and kids games as well. Lectures by scientists who have accomplished extraordinary things and other special presentations are on hand as well.
SeaFest was introduced in 2002 as an "open house" opportunity for residents and visitors on the Oregon coast to tour the sprawling marine science center and learn about the research conducted there. The event attracted over two thousand attendees the first year and proved even more popular in subsequent years, drawing visitors from across the state and region with its mix of family-friendly science exhibits, research vessel tours, artistic displays, seafood, entertainment, and activities for people of all ages.
The primary hosts/organizers of SeaFest are Oregon State University and the various agencies located at the Center, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition, representatives from Newport's commercial fishing industry, US Coast Guard Station, and dozens of other local organizations participate as exhibitors.
"We had a fantastic SeaFest in 2005, which was also the year of the Hatfield Marine Science Center's 40th anniversary celebration," said Ken Hall, HMSC Program Manager, "but we decided to put SeaFest on hold for a year to take a break and evaluate some of the new ideas being proposed".
Organizers considered making SeaFest an every-other-year event, changing the date to the middle of summer or early Fall, or possibly taking it on the road to other locations up and down the coast for greater exposure. In the end, they decided that keeping SeaFest as an annual event at HMSC, to be held every fourth weekend in June, made the best sense.
"At its core, SeaFest celebrates the natural environment and presents science in a way that helps people understand our role as stewards of the oceans and their bounty," says Hall.
"That’s a theme everyone can relate to, and it explains why people keep asking, 'When is SeaFest coming back?'"
Mark your calendars for June 23rd..
For more information about SeaFest, visit www.hmsc.oregonstate.edu/seafest or call (541) 867-0212.
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Newport, Oregon
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