Our History

Just as the ocean has inspired creativity for millennia, the Oregon State University Marine Studies Initiative (MSI) harnessed people's fascination with the sea and all it touches to motivate the next generation of students and citizens. Through its collaborative, transdisciplinary programs, this initiative provided innovative approaches to solving ocean-related societal challenges. 

The Marine Studies Initiative was devoted to advancing the initiative's goals of:

• providing transformational education experiences centered on marine studies,
• advancing leadership in transdisciplinary marine research and scholarship, and
• increasing societal impact in Oregon and beyond. 

A 10-year strategic plan guided the MSI's work to develop new and enhance existing programs to achieve successful stewardship of the ocean, including the wealth of benefits it provides to people, for today and into the future.

The MSI strived to bridge key faculty resources across Oregon State's 11 colleges, Graduate School and Honors College, tap the university's institutes and centers throughout the state, and engage in new partnerships through a vast outreach and engagement network. This comprehensive mix of people, programs, and facilities not only connected students and faculty to communities along the Oregon coast and inland, it also delivered unprecedented impact and opportunity nationally and internationally. 

We deeply appreciated the contributions by marine studies affiliated faculty and staff from across campus, who were essential to the initiative's success.