On a typical low-visibility-day out among Oregon’s rocky reefs, scuba divers float in a murky, monochromatic world. Sunlight filtering through the algae-rich brine of near-shore waters casts a green patina on everything.
In Coos Bay, North Bend and Charleston, aka Oregon’s Bay Area, you can take a tour of the working waterfront, courtesy of Oregon Sea Grant.
With seed funds from Oregon BEST, researcher Goran Jovanovic is working on a novel “capacitive deionization” process that could remove salt from seawater using half the energy of prevailing technologies.
An underwater robotics competition in North Bend, teacher workshops in Newport, a student-built unmanned sailboat in Astoria — all reflect an ambitious educational initiative known as the Oregon Coast STEM Hub.
Sardines, mackerel and other “forage fish” are more valuable as food for larger species such as cod and tuna than as a commercial catch in their own right.
With a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Oregon State University economists are studying the economic value of coastal features, such as sand dunes, wetlands and estuaries.