![Tide pool2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Tide_pool2.jpg)
The Ocean Institute is an ocean education organization located in
Dana Point, California. Founded as the Orange County Marine Institute in 1977, it offers
ocean science and
maritime history programs for K–12 students and their teachers. Over 100,000 students and 8,000 teachers from
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
*Orange County, New ...
and the surrounding counties participate yearly in immersion-style programs in the institute's oceanfront labs and abroad.
The institute is open to the
general public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlic ...
on weekdays, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and weekends, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; visitors can see marine animals and ocean-themed exhibits. While creating the
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...
animated television show ''
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character ...
'', biologist and cartoonist
Stephen Hillenburg
Stephen McDannell Hillenburg (August 21, 1961 – November 26, 2018) was an American animator, writer, producer, director, and marine science educator. He is known for creating the Nickelodeon animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants' ...
drew inspiration from his time teaching at the Ocean Institute.
Moored at the institute is its 70-foot marine science research vessel, the R/V ''Sea Explorer'', used for student programs and to take visitors on trips to see marine wildlife, including
whale watching
Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins (cetaceans) in their natural habitat. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity (cf. birdwatching), but it can also serve scientific and/or educational purposes.Hoyt, E. 2 ...
on weekends. The institute also partners with the Lazy-W Ranch, a camp located in the
Cleveland National Forest
Cleveland National Forest encompasses 460,000 acres (), mostly of chaparral, with a few riparian areas. A warm dry mediterranean climate prevails over the forest. It is the southernmost U.S. National Forest of California. It is administered by ...
where students study the ecosystem and California history. It provides outreach programs ''via'' a
mobile laboratory A mobile laboratory is a laboratory that is either fully housed within or transported by a vehicle such as a converted bus, RV, or tractor-trailer.
Such vehicles can serve a variety of functions, including:
* Science education
* Science research
* ...
provided by the "Ocean in Motion" van and distance learning ''via'' video conference.
Other facilities
* ''Ecology Learning Center'' – for grades K–3, includes marine life tanks, wet-tables with video-microscopes, a digital imaging lab and an interactive children's theater.
* ''Marine Life Refuge'' – Eight acres of beach and tidepools just to the north of the facility; used for walking tours.
* ''Maritime Center'' – Used for teaching maritime history.
* ''Packard At-Sea Learning Center'' –For grades 4–6, houses marine life including jellyfish at various stages of development.
* ''Surfscience Learning Center, Sleeping Deck'' – Houses teaching exhibits such as an oceanography test tank, wave tank, shark & ray pool, and a shipboard research station. Students on overnight programs can sleep upstairs on the sleeping deck. The deck also houses a National Weather Service Coastal Observation Station.
* ''Samueli Lecture Hall and Conference Center'' – The central meeting facility of the institute, used for educational presentations and special events.
* ''Student and Teacher Services Building'' – The main administration building; a two-story open lobby serves as the main entry for visitors. Exhibits on the first floor.
* ''Center for Cooperation in Research and Education'' – Integrates ocean research into Ocean Institute programs
* ''Maddie James Seaside Learning Center'' - A learning center with a biological diversity lab that serves as a transition zone for new animals and a citizen science lab for the study of invasive species.
* ''Laurena G. Chambers Gallery and Gift Store'' – Offers educational materials and ocean and maritime-themed gift items.
Tall Ships: ''Pilgrim'' and ''Spirit of Dana Point''
![Maritime history program, Pilgrim, Ocean Institute](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Maritime_history_program%2C_Pilgrim%2C_Ocean_Institute.JPG)
The institute maintains two tall ships, the ''Pilgrim'', a 130-foot vessel used in overnight and dockside programs, and the ''Spirit of Dana Point'', a 118-foot topsail schooner. The ''
Pilgrim
A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of ...
'' is a replica of the tall ship that
Richard Henry Dana Jr.
Richard Henry Dana Jr. (August 1, 1815 – January 6, 1882) was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts, a descendant of a colonial family, who gained renown as the author of the classic American memoir ''Two Years Before the Mast''. ...
sailed onboard into Dana Point in the 1830s. Tall ship programs simulate the experience of a sailor in the 1830s.
The ''Pilgrim'' and ''Spirit of Dana Point'' are showcased at the institute's largest annual event, the Toshiba Tall Ships Festival,
held in September. It draws seven or eight tall ships from up and down the coast, and features pirates, singing, cannon battles, and a chance to sail on a tall ship.
The replica of the ''
Pilgrim
A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of ...
'' was demolished in April 2020 after sinking.
Annual budget
The Ocean Institute has an annual budget of $6 million, and employs 100 full and part-time staff members, as well as utilizing the services of hundreds of volunteers. Professional partners include the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center in the City of La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States.
Founded in the 1930s by Caltech researchers, JPL is owned by NASA an ...
, the
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National ...
and
Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Supporters include the Swenson Family Foundation, the
Henry Samueli
Henry Samueli (born September 20, 1954) is an American businessman, engineer, and philanthropist.
He is the co-founder of Broadcom Corporation, owner of the National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks, and a prominent philanthropist in the Orange Co ...
Foundation, Quiksilver, and KOCE, among others. Wendy Marshall serves as the institute's president and CEO. It is funded through school visitations, state and city grants, as well as gifts from local philanthropists. The watershed education program is funded by
MyOcean
MyOcean is a series of projects granted by the European Commission within the GMES Program (Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development, Seventh Framework Program), whose objective is to define and to set up a concerted and inte ...
and the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association.
The institute's largest annual fundraiser is its Laguna Beach Million Dollar Home Raffle, which began in 2005.
References
External links
*
{{Coord, 33.4611, -117.7066, type:edu_region:US-CA, display=title
Maritime museums in California
Oceanographic organizations
Education in Orange County, California
Museums in Orange County, California
Natural history museums in California
Dana Point, California