Hats Off to Hatfield Partnerships

I was lucky enough to stop by Oregon State University’s impressive Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) today to check out the center and meet COASST friend and free-choice learning guru Dr. Shawn Rowe. Specializing in research on how and in what ways people learn about science in informal settings (museums, parks, science centers) Dr. Rowe shared with me how multiple agencies, academic institutions, and community groups have built truly innovative partnerships via the HMSC. Numerous state-level agencies, academic institutions, and NOAA, as well as the U.S. EPA, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Geological Survey all interact at this facility to share resources and expertise in search of innovative ways to sustain healthy marine ecosystems and the resources they provide. It is these types of sustained and integrative alliances that offer us our best shot of advancing both scientific understanding and conservation of marine environments. As I’ve discovered on my COASST tour, the folks that make up COASST believe that as well. For many COASST volunteers, the spirit of partnership, sense of collective mission, and the openness to share project data and resources are among the top reasons why participation in the program is such a draw. Like Dr. Rowe and the good folks at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, COASST seeks active partnerships and believes in collaborative work. It is high impact, high reward research at it’s best!