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University of Delaware Lewes campus offers guided tours

June 8, 2023

This summer, the University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean and Environment and Delaware Sea Grant will once again offer free tours of the Lewes campus to the public, under the guidance of a knowledgeable and enthusiastic team of docents.

The important and exciting work of CEOE researchers, which involves studies of the marine environment from the Delaware Bay all the way to Antarctica, is featured throughout the tour.

Summer tours take place from 10 a.m. to noon every Friday in June and every Wednesday from July 1 through Sept. 6. Tours outside the regular schedule may be requested. Tours are geared toward adults in groups of 5-10. Children aged 7 and older are welcome to attend if a two-hour, science-focused tour suits their interests and attention span. Everyone should indicate when registering if there are any children in a tour group.

Following a brief history of CEOE and an introduction to its faculty and student body, tour groups are guided through the two main research facilities on the campus, the Cannon Lab and the Smith Lab.

In the Cannon Lab, highlights include a 200-foot-long museum-quality mural of ocean life; preserved samples of deep-water fishes; a detailed model of the University of Delaware’s 146-foot, state-of-the-art Research Vessel Hugh R. Sharp; two large aquariums populated with local fish species; the Marine Operations Center; and the 2-megawatt wind turbine that provides electricity to the campus and the City of Lewes, both clearly visible from the lab’s easily accessible second-floor landing.

In the Smith Lab, highlights include the Global Visualization Lab with its large, dynamic screens displaying the reach and variety of CEOE research; the aquaponics lab where edible lettuce is grown from fish byproducts; the robotics lab featuring the latest marine robotic equipment; various visuals related to ongoing coastal research; a sample of a hydrothermal black smoker chimney collected by CEOE researchers traveling in a deep-sea submersible; and a presentation on Delaware’s prehistoric denizen, the horseshoe crab.

Advance reservations are required at least two days before the desired tour date and can be made by visiting UD’s Lewes Campus Tour website or by calling the UD Lewes Campus at 302-645-4234.

 

 

 

 

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