Marine science in Santa Cruz

Name: Seymour Marine Discovery Center
Item: Seymour Marine Discovery Center
Author: Marilyn

Our own Monterey Bay is one of the world’s epicenters of cutting-edge work in marine science. UCSC’s Seymour Marine Discovery Center gives us an extraordinary opportunity to key into that local work. Come touch a friendly shark and see how marine scientists work.

Why we ❤ it

The exhibit hall, aquarium and tours offer a deep dive into the adventures of ocean research in Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay and around the world.

Aquarium. At the invertebrate pool you can touch sea stars, sea urchins, hermit crabs, sea anemones and more. A shark pool provides a close-up view of these fascinating creatures. Other tanks house rockfish, eels, decorator crabs and jellies.

Younger Lagoon Reserve tours. This 90-minute, behind-the-scenes hiking tour takes visitors into Younger Lagoon Reserve adjacent to the Center. Tours are offered on selected Thursdays and Sundays.

Ocean Discovery Shop. Browse a wide array of cards, prints, pottery, books, clothing, jewelry and other ocean-inspired products. Children can learn more about marine science with science kits and tools.

Outdoor giants. You can’t miss Ms. Blue, the 87-foot blue whale skeleton is one of the largest skeletons of any kind, displayed anywhere in the world. The life-size elephant seal sculptures near the entrance are a tribute to the volunteers of the marine laboratory. Elephant seals have made a successful comeback from the brink of extinction. The gray whale skeleton on the ocean bluff illustrates the unique feeding posture of gray whales. The California gray whale was recently removed from the endangered species list as their estimated population is thought to equal the pre-whaling population.

Coastal bluffs & native plant habitat. The landscape design represents the indigenous coastal bluff communities. These native plants are drought-tolerant and adapted to the harsh winds and fog of the coastal environment. The protected habitats provide a safe haven for a wide array of wildlife, including over 100 species of resident and migratory birds, bobcats, brush rabbits, and other mammals, amphibians, and fish, including the endangered tidewater goby.

What: Seymour Marine Discovery Center
When: Open Wed-Sun; 10am-4pm
Where: 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz
Cost: Adults $12, Seniors $11, Students with ID & kids 3-17 $9, Toddlers and Members, Free.

Parking permits required; 3 hours free with paid admission.

UCSC’s Institute Of Marine Sciences And Long Marine Lab. The Seymour Marine Discovery Center is a component of the Joseph M. Long Marine Laboratory, a research and education facility. Both the Center and the marine lab belong to UCSC’s Institute of Marine Sciences, which brings together scientists working in many different fields.

Image: Thanks to Smart Destinations, “Sunrise view from the Seymour Center @ Long Marine Lab”, Creative Commons and Go San Francisco

Seymour Marine Discovery Center

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