The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science's (NCCOS) Cooperative Oxford Laboratory (COL) hosted an open house on April 27, 2013. The event showcased the NCCOS' unique research and science partnerships with Maryland Department of Natural Resources, NOAA's National Ocean Service, National Marine Fisheries Service and the US Coast Guard Station Oxford.

Nearly 600 visitors came to learn about the Laboratory and its mission to bring together the unique combination of science, response, and management capabilities to improve and protect the ecological health of the Chesapeake Bay and provide science for ecosystem management relevant to ecosystems worldwide.

Visitor activities included interactions with scientists and rare Chesapeake Bay fish species, as well as hands-on experience building remote control underwater vessels, seining, touching, and seeing bay critters up close, making T-shirt prints of local marine species, and learning about the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

For more information, contact Gretchen.Messick@noaa.gov.