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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Enrolled
Senate Concurrent Resolution 20
Sponsored by Senators FREDERICK, ANDERSON; Senator SMITH DB, Representatives BOICE,
WRIGHT
Whereas the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Oregon (OIMB) celebrated
its centennial anniversary in August 2024; and
Whereas 100 years after its 1924 establishment as a humble tent encampment on the Pacific
Coast, OIMB now sits on the forefront of marine research and restoration, with more than 20
cutting-edge buildings and facilities on its campus; and
Whereas based on a report from the University’s science faculty praising the seashore south of
Coos Bay for its remarkable opportunities for marine studies, University President Prince Lucien
Campbell in 1907 recommended to the State Board of Regents that they establish a marine labora-
tory near Coos Bay that would ultimately go on to become a world-class research and teaching
destination for scientists and students from across the United States; and
Whereas the University began regular summer field courses at Sunset Bay, south of Charleston,
Oregon, in 1924, in collaboration with professors and students at Oregon Agricultural College; and
Whereas in 1931, University President Arnold Bennett Hall established OIMB as a permanent
marine laboratory located on 100 acres of the Coos Head Military Reserve in Charleston, with the
aid of the Coos County Commissioners, Judge James T. Brand and United States President Herbert
Hoover; and
Whereas classes at the laboratory in Charleston were taught exclusively in the summer until
1966, when the campus began functioning as a year-round research facility, and courses were de-
veloped for fall, spring and summer terms soon after; and
Whereas OIMB has developed a worldwide reputation for state-of-the-art studies in marine
zoology, botany, physiology and conservation biology; and
Whereas OIMB operates a small fleet of research vessels that supports teaching, diving oper-
ations and ocean monitoring for state and federal programs; and
Whereas OIMB provides first-rate facilities and resources for visiting researchers from
throughout the United States and abroad; and
Whereas the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, the first federally protected
estuary in the United States, was founded in Charleston to aid in the important ecological studies
being conducted at OIMB; and
Whereas the University of Oregon’s first professor of biology, Fredrick Washburn, successfully
transplanted east-coast oysters to Coos Bay and Newport Bay and published landmark papers on the
biology of oysters in 1902; and
Whereas OIMB researchers use sophisticated methods to study the diets of marine animals, ap-
plying these studies to critical and timely environmental issues; and
Whereas OIMB researchers have been commended for excellence in the study of embryology and
the biology and ecology of microscopic larval forms; and
Whereas OIMB researchers have aided greatly in our understanding of the diversity of lesser-
known invertebrate animals using genetic methods and careful anatomical studies and continue to
increase our knowledge of the faunal diversity off the Oregon Coast and beyond; and
Whereas OIMB’s discovery that invasive species are transported in the ballast water of cargo
ships has been recognized worldwide and has led to the establishment of crucial regulations and
agencies in virtually all maritime nations; and
Enrolled Senate Concurrent Resolution 20 (SCR 20-INTRO) Page 1
Whereas dozens of books and thousands of scientific papers in the most prestigious marine re-
search journals have been published by scientists affiliated with OIMB; and
Whereas research conducted by OIMB students and faculty now extends to regions all across
the world, including the Antarctic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the waters surrounding Central Amer-
ica and the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the North Atlantic Ocean,
the Arctic Ocean, the North and South Pacific Ocean and Alaska, and to all regions of the deep sea,
from continental shelves to hadal trenches; and
Whereas in 2005, OIMB established a rigorous marine biology major, the first in the Pacific
Northwest, that has now grown to nearly 400 students and attracts students not only from Oregon,
but from all across the world; and
Whereas in 2016, OIMB established a public museum and aquarium, the Charleston Marine Life
Center, that has become a top draw for locals and tourists alike, and that offers hands-on instruction
to prekindergarten and school-aged children throughout southern Oregon; and
Whereas for over 100 years, dedicated researchers, faculty and staff have continued to honor the
University of Oregon’s commitment to putting students first by building a community of learners
who positively impact the lives of those around them with a focus on serving the greater good; now,
therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon:
That we, the members of the Eighty-third Legislative Assembly, commemorate the 100th anni-
versary of the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology and congratulate the University of Oregon and
its alumni on a century of leadership in marine research and service to the State of Oregon, the
United States and all maritime nations.
Adopted by Senate April 2, 2025
Obadiah Rutledge, Secretary of Senate
Rob Wagner, President of Senate
Adopted by House May 12, 2025
Julie Fahey, Speaker of House
Enrolled Senate Concurrent Resolution 20 (SCR 20-INTRO) Page 2