Aquarium

The complex of Marine Life Science Research Facilities with flow-through seawater at URI are the Ann Gall Durbin Marine Research Aquarium; the Ark Annex to the Aquarium; the Luther Blount Aquaculture Laboratory; the Eel Grass Research Facility; the Marine Ecosystems Research Laboratory; and the Seawater Pump House that provides flowing seawater to the entire complex.

The Research Aquarium, which opened in 1971, contains approximately 3,000 net SF of wet esearch space on the first level and approximately 4,000 net SF of office and laboratory space on the second level.

The Marine Ecosystems Research Laboratory (MERL) opened in 1975 as a one-of-a-kind facility for performing whole-ecosystem manipulation studies.The facility has 14 large (13,000 liter) outdoor mesocosm tanks which include sediment and water column communities. The facility also houses laboratories for nutrient analysis and benthic community analysis.

The Ark, opened in 1999, is a modern, shingle-clad structure adjacent to the Aquarium that provides an additional 1,000 net SF of protected space for seawater tanks.

The Luther Blount Aquaculture Laboratory, opened in 2005, contains over 3,000 net SF of space divided into seven discreet laboratories. One lab is specifically designed for pathology, another for transgenics, and there is a dedicated room for culturing live feed. The other four labs are intended to house tanks of various sizes and to support a wide range of experiments concerning finfish and shellfish aquaculture. Filtered ambient, heated, and chilled seawater are supplied to all the labs. The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art Diamond filters and Siemens controls.