Laboratories

The School occupies modern laboratories in three principal buildings: the Marine Science Building, the Ocean Teaching Building, and the new Ocean Science Building, dedicated in January 2000. Additional facilities are located at the UW's Friday Harbor Laboratories on San Juan Island.

Observation, theory and experiment all contribute to research and education in the School. Access to the sea is provided by our two ships: R/V Thomas G. Thompson, a state-of-the-art 274-foot, 3000 ton vessel, operating virtually anywhere in the world's oceans, and the 65-foot R/V Clifford A. Barnes working in Puget Sound, nearshore areas, and the Columbia River estuary.

Technological advances have opened opportunities for new observing systems and the School is active in the ARGO float program, development of the SeaGlider system and the proposed NEPTUNE fiber optic telescope to inner space. Specialized shore-based laboratories offer unique facilities for experimental investigation and for analyzing samples collected at sea and drawn during experimental runs.

Over 500 computers are connected to the School's network: desktops, laboratory controllers, data servers and special facilities for physical modeling, for spatial analysis and for drop-in student computing. The Spatial Analysis Lab is a research and teaching facility designed for both graduate and undergraduate level programs. Our courses emphasize the integration of technology in the earth sciences with special attention to the role of GPS, GIS, and Remote Sensing.