DURHAM, N.H. – Touch a horseshoe crab, map the ocean floor and drive a remotely operated vehicle at the University of New Hampshire’s Ocean Discovery Day on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017. Ocean Discovery Day will provide visitors with an opportunity to explore the wonders of the sea through interactive exhibits and demonstrations at the newly renovated Chase Ocean Engineering Laboratory on the UNH campus in Durham. The event is free to the public and runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visitors can participate in a number of ocean-related activities that include making a fish print, dissecting a squid, viewing plankton that are an important base in the food chain and watching a SCUBA diving demonstration to learn how UNH scientists conduct research below the waves. Tour the building’s unique facilities, including a 20-foot-deep engineering tank, a 120-foot-long wave tank, a communications center that lets researchers connect with scientists at sea, and a large panoramic display that helps visualize underwater data like whale movements.

A series of presentations by UNH staff and faculty will explore the sounds of the polar ocean, Atlantic torpedo rays and other sea-themed topics. This event will also feature a Seafood Throwdown competition hosted by the UNH Fisheries and Aquaculture Club, where local chefs will prepare dishes for visitors to taste.  

Ocean Discovery Day is hosted by the UNH School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, N.H. Sea Grant, Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping and the UNH Marine Docents. For more information, including directions, parking, and schedules of activities, go to https://marine.unh.edu/oceandiscoveryday/ or visit Ocean Discovery Day on Facebook.