Redfish Rocks Community Tour

6. OSU Field Station

Port Orford, OR

I'm Tom Calvanese, a fisheries biologist working for Oregon State University as manager here at the Port Orford Field Station. The station is a research and education outpost here on the south coast operating as part of OSU's marine studies initiative. It's a hub supporting student learning, scientific research, community priorities, and economic opportunities. Here we foster coastal stewardship and sustainability by facilitating access to this region's unique marine and terrestrial ecosystem. We support research and monitoring of the Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve including scuba, catch and release fishing, underwater video and oceanographic monitoring of the biodiversity of the marine reserve. For the past six years, we have supported a team studying gray whale foraging behavior in the surrounding waters. Each summer, we host interns in science communication, local fish processing with our neighbors, Port Orford Sustainable Seafood, and other partners. We house and support the Oregon Kelp Alliance, or ORKA, a diverse partnership of urchin divers, tribal members, scientists, managers, eco-tour guides, conservationists, chefs, and others, all working to promote healthy kelp forests in Oregon. We look forward to the future of our work on the south coast as we partner with the Port of Port Orford on the new seafood hub now in development. The seafood hub will provide OSU with the infrastructure to support several emerging initiatives, including our food from the sea, mariculture, and blue economy initiatives. Students, educators, and researchers are encouraged to come here to study, teach, conduct research, and engage with the ocean-aware community of Port Orford. Visit the station's grants and donations page on our website to support our work in the region or to apply for a grant to support your work. We look forward to seeing you here at OSU's south coast outpost. Have a great day!