FSML: Expansion of Small Boat Dockage Facility at the Center for Marine Research

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University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) Center for Marine Research. UNCW is awarded a grant to expand and update the current dockage facilities at the Center for Marine Researh (CMS). Major pieces of equipment or shared use equipment that are provided by CMS are operated as CORE Facilities. Each facility has an identified faculty member as the facility leader, with technical support and service contracts maintained by CMS. These facilities are regional resources available to faculty and students from any UNC constituent campus (for the cost of expendables) at a fraction of the costs that would be charged elsewhere. The Research Vessel Operations Core Facility was formed to manage and maintain the University's research fleet. CMS operates 22 vessels ranging in size from 4 meters (13 feet) to the 11 m (35 foot) R/V Seahawk to the 21-meters (68-foot) R/V Cape Fear. CMS's only direct access to the field is via a 235 meter (770 ft) long dock with a large platform directly on the Intracoastal Waterway with only one permanent berth for support of research vessels up to 25 meters long (80 feet), normally occupied by the R/V Cape Fear, and 2 small floating platforms for staging research. This grant will expand the current dock by adding a 72 ft (21 m) extension to the existing dock that will include 8 small boat slips, 4 slips with boat hoists and 4 without, 1 - 35 ft (11 m) berth with hoist for the R/V Seahawk, a well as space for additional research projects and shellfish culturing. This expansion/extension will greatly ease access to the boats for the ever expending scientific, educational and outreach needs of the marine science at program.A credible marine science program needs reliable, well-equipped vessels with easy access to the marine environment. In addition, UNCW and its flagship marine science program has a goal of increasing experiential learning in marine science at all levels, K to Gray. CMS provides laboratory and field access for 100 faculty, ~ 500 undergraduate students (Marine Biology, Oceanography and Physics with option in Physics Oceanography), ~ 100 M.S. students pursuing marine science degrees; ~ 20 students pursuing Ph.D. degrees in Marine Biology, and 60+ staff. with dedicated space for research, education and public outreach. With the recent tying of the University's accreditation to a Quality Enhancement Plan focused on Experiencing Transformative Education through Applied Learning (eTEAL) built upon the University's mission as the state's coastal university, projected use of our small boat fleet in the next decade for "applied learning inspired by explorations across academic disciplines and pedagogies" to increase dramatically. In addition, in partnership with MarineQuest and Watson School of Education, the Center offered experiential learning opportunities for K to 12 students for 30 years; providing exciting academic enrichment opportunities for over 18,000 young people (entering 3rd generation) interested in the marine environment, with over 8,000 just in the last year. Virtually every student in New Hanover County has at one time participated in a MarineQuest program, many of which have need of easy access to vessels. Last summer alone, more than 500 students ages 10 to 17 from across the country and abroad who participated in summer boarding camps made use of CMS research vessels. For more information about CMS visit http://uncw.edu/cms/.