Marine Laboratory
Marine Laboratory
Marine Laboratory
Who We Are
Dick Randall working on the water.
The UOG Marine Laboratory, established as a research unit of UOG in 1970, plays an important role in both national and regional marine research.
Members of the Marine Laboratory faculty enhance their research activities through
individual collaboration with colleagues from other U.S. and foreign institutions
and by opening the facilities to visitors from around the world.
Our Vision
Diverse, sustainable, and resilient tropical marine enviroments.
Our Mission
Reef Survey in Micronesia.
Advancing marine science and building capacity for Micronesia and beyond through innovative research, excellence in education, and collaborative networks.
Shared Values
Scholarship
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We conduct innovative, creative, and collaborative research to produce transformative science.
Integrity
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We act with uncompromising honesty and hold ourselves accountable for our actions.
Work Ethic
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We lead by example in the classroom, laboratory, and field.
Respect
Cone shell on the reef.
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We value indigenous knowledge and commit to inclusive science.
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We commit to understanding and promoting careful stewardship of our natural heritage.
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We make commitments with care and live up to them.
Community
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We promote scientific literacy within our communities to support resilience and sustainability.
Research
Collecting at depth for the bio-blitz.
Faculty, students, and researchers at the Marine Laboratory collaborate on a variety of research topics including coral genetic connectivity across the Pacific, fisheries health, sea turtle nesting behavior, coral diseases, endolithic algae, coral nurseries, diver effects on coral reefs, shark genetic connectivity within the Marianas, and more.
Administration
The Marine Laboratory is administered by a director that is selected from the faculty and serves on a three-year rotational basis. There are 15 full-time employees at the Marine Laboratory: ten full-time faculty, two clerical staff, two marine technicians, and a dive safety officer. Two faculty members of the College of Arts and Sciences, a marine microbiologist and a behavioral geneticist, are closely affiliated with the Laboratory as well. Several postdoctoral research associates, supported by federal grants, also work with the faculty.
Wet labs
The Marine Lab’s open-air flow-through seawater facilities (“wet labs”) allow researchers to culture and study organisms, and conduct controlled experiments using ocean water pumped in from the northern tip of Pago Bay. When renovations are complete, the two wet labs will have 40 seawater tanks.
Two indoor controlled-environment labs also allow researchers to manipulate environmental conditions and conduct ecophysiological research. Our closed water filtration system is currently under construction and will include a quarantine system, as well as tanks to to culture and maintain rare and at-risk species.
The closed system, which recirculates water, can be powered by generator. Because Guam is vulnerable to typhoons and tropical storms, this facility will allow researchers to keep specimens alive in the event of an extended power outage.
Guest House
The Marine Lab’s Guest House, located between the University of Guam’s main campus and the Marine Lab, can accommodate a team of researchers, visiting professors, professors with students, and incoming students or faculty.
There are two separate living quarters, one with three bedrooms and one with two bedrooms; housing up to 10 people. There are separate kitchen and bathroom facilities. The Guest House is a three-minute walk from the Marine Lab and provides safe, comfortable, and convenient field lodgings for visitors requiring a short-term stay.
Guam
Guam, a Territory of the United States, is located in the western Pacific Ocean at 13° North, 144° East. Guam is the southernmost and largest island of the Mariana Archipelago.
The island has a population of approximately 137,000 and is administered by an elected local government. The economy is highly dependent upon tourism (more than 1,400,000 visitors per year). Regular airline flights are available directly to and from Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, Australia, Bali, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Palau, with connections throughout Asia and the South Pacific.
The 530-km² island rises some 400 m above sea level, has both dense jungles and open savannah, and is surrounded by fringing coral reefs. Air temperature ranges between 24° C and 34° C, and sea surface temperatures range between 27° C and 29° C year round.
The coral reefs are among the most diverse in the world and provide excellent opportunities for research. The marine flora and fauna of Guam include about 377 species of scleractinian corals, 237 species of benthic marine algae, and 950 species of coral reef fishes; more than 1700 species of molluscs have been identified so far. Total known marine biodiversity in Guam exceeds 5,600 species identified to date. The University of Guam Marine Laboratory is unique among the U.S. marine laboratories with modern facilities within this rich biogeographical province.
Micronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. There are four main archipelagos along with numerous outlying islands.
The Micronesia region encompasses five sovereign, independent nations—the Federated States of Micronesia (which is usually also called "Micronesia" for short and is not to be confused with the overall region), Palau, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, and Nauru—and as well as three U.S. territories in the northern part: Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and Wake Island.
(Photos from NASA)
The University of Guam’s Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) drives collaborative conservation across island and ocean ecosystems, supporting coral reef monitoring, native plant restoration, endangered species protection, and marine archaeology. Since 2010, UOG CESU has joined a national network of more than 300 partners dedicated to preserving natural and cultural resources.
A study by Marine Lab faculty clarifies the evolution of a species that once dominated the oceans.
UOG and visiting scientists develop tool to detect coral bleaching risk and identify resilient coral species early.
University of Guam's Dr. Brett Taylor co-edits Biology of Rabbitfishes, a new book exploring the evolutionary biology, ecological importance, and cultural value of rabbitfishes, especially in Guam's coastal and culinary traditions.
Research Matters is a new editorial series from the University of Guam Office of Research and Sponsored Programs that brings readers into the world of UOG’s research centers. The column runs every other Monday in the PDN.
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