The Institute's main campus is located on 72 acres of beach-front land, at the mouth of the Aransas Channel and the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. It is a complete campus, including laboratories, classrooms, offices, a resource center, dormitories, and a cafeteria. In addition to the typical campus structures, the Institute also has public spaces associated with the Patton Center for Marine Science Education that house interpretive exhibits, an aquaria, an auditorium, and adjacent trails at the Wetlands Education Center and Waterwise Wildlife Garden. The Estuarine Research Center houses the headquarters of the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve.
No marine lab would be complete without a marina or dive program. UTMSI has a five-acre boat basin that provides quick access for our research vessels to both the bay systems and the Gulf of Mexico. The basin has been certified as a Clean Texas Marina by voluntarily adopting practices and measures to control pollution and embrace the conservation ethic of individual responsibility for healthy land and water.
A research pier allows direct access for research projects in the Aransas Pass tidal inlet connecting the Gulf with the bays. This 300-foot pier has a 1200 sq. ft. lab at its base and a 150 sq. ft. instrument room at the end. The pier also has an electric winch for deploying sampling equipment such as plankton nets and large-mesh tide traps to study fluxes of biota through the inlet.
A mile west of the main campus is the Port Street Campus which includes the Fisheries and Mariculture Laboratory (FAML) and the Center for Coastal Ocean Science on 10 acres adjacent to the ship channel. The FAML complex provides facilities for research on the spawning and rearing of marine finfish. The Center for Coastal Ocean Science provides newly renovated laboratories for toxicological research on marine ecosystems.
UTMSI Library
The Marine Science Library located at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, is a branch of the UT Libraries. It supports the undergraduate and graduate programs of the Department of Marine Science and the research programs of the Marine Science Institute. The library is a primary source for marine-related information in the state and the Gulf Coast region.
Dr. E. J. Lund, the first director of the Marine Science Institute, collected materials in marine science, which formed the basis of the institute's library, during 1946-47. With nearly 50,000 volumes in foreign and domestic titles, the library's collection currently supports the curriculum of the Department of Marine Science in the College of Natural Sciences. The library also serves the research unit of The University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, Texas.
The library is a primary source for marine-related information in the state and in the Gulf of Mexico. It houses several Texas state publications relating to fisheries and water resources.
Subject disciplines covered include: fish physiology and ecology; biogeochemistry; ecosystem dynamics; marine relative to botany, chemistry, geology, microbiology, toxicology; aquaculture and mariculture; biological and physical oceanography; reproductive physiology of marine animals and endocrinology.
Materials not available in the Marine Science Library: request through UT Libraries' InterLibrary Services. Currently all materials must be used while in the library.
Research Vessels
The workhorse of our bay operations is the R/V Katy, a 57-foot long trawler. Our research fleet is rounded out by several smaller boats, each with special capabilities for working in different habitats and performing different operations.
R/V KATY
The R/V KATY is 57 feet long, 16 feet 6 inches in beam, 6 feet draft, 40.8 gross tons, and 27 net tons. She is powered by a single Caterpillar C7.1 diesel engine, with a top speed of about 10 knots.
Below decks living quarters include bunk space for six. There is a complete galley with refrigerator and electric range. All the quarters are air-conditioned. Fuel capacity is 3,000 gallons and fresh water capacity is 1,000 gallons. In addition to the normal controls on the bridge, there is a stern steering station.
A wet laboratory space is semi-enclosed off the work deck. A compartment immediately forward of the wet laboratory space can be used as a day room for personnel or rigged as an instrument room for research projects. This vessel's primary utilization is as a stern trawler for class trips.
For more information, please contact msi-edureserve@utlists.utexas.edu.
Small Boat Fleet
With a fleet of boats and lab buildings in Port Aransas perched hundreds of feet from the Gulf of Mexico, the Marine Science Institute is an ideal research location, whether someone is towing instruments behind boats, using data collected from geographical information systems or standing knee-deep in marsh muck to study estuarine ecology.
C-Hawk
A 25-foot workboat with enclosed cuddy cabin forward and large cockpit. Equipped with 200-HP outboard and trim tabs. Suitable for bay or near offshore (in calm weather) work. Capacity 11 people or 1,500 pounds.
Shearwater
A 26-foot “landing craft” with a 150-HP outboard engine. It can carry an 'All Terrain Vehicle' and gear or up to 14 people. Maximum carrying capacity: 2,600 lbs.
Mowdy
The Mowdy is a 25-foot catamaran with a 200-HP engine with a jack plate and ample deck space. This boat's purpose is to cross rough bays but be able to go in the shallows. The hull drafts 10 inches and it is rated for 6 people.
Dr. Cleo
A 22-foot Boston Whaler center console with a 200-HP Mercury Optimax outboard engine. It is fully equipped with electronics and has a T-top. Suitable for bay and offshore (in calm weather) work, it has a capacity of 9 people or 1,650 lbs.
Beachcomber
An 18-foot custom “air-boat” powered by a high-performance 454 cu. in. Chevy engine. It is used for ultra-shallow research and delta/marsh work. Maximum capacity: 6 people or 1,110 lbs.
Lowe
An 18-foot aluminum “John boat” powered by a 45-HP outboard. Its large deck is suitable for working various gill nets, etc. Maximum capacity: 8 people or 1,085 lbs.
Montauk
A 17-foot center console Boston Whaler with a 110-HP outboard motor. Maximum capacity: 5 people or 925 lbs.
Tiburon
A 20-foot vessel and great for shallow water. Maximum capacity: 6
Curt Johnson
A 28-foot Munson is a landing craft that is powered by two 200-HP outboards. It has an 8.5-foot beam, davit, bimni top, spud pole for shallow water and 2 jack plates. It drafts about 14-16 inches of water. Capacity of 16 people or 3,000 lbs.
Proteus
A 30-foot North River Seahawk (2019 Almar Hull, 10-foot beam) for marine operations on the northern Alaskan Arctic coast (Beaufort Sea) and is designated as an Oceanographic Research Vessel by the USCG. Additional information.
Instrumentation
| Analysis Service / Contact Information | Description of Service |
|---|---|
| Ryan Hladyniuk (361) 749-3099 |
Sample preparation services are available. |
| Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Ryan Hladyniuk (361) 749-3099 |
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| Elemental and Nutrient Analysis Ryan Hladyniuk (361) 749-3099 |
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| LC-Ion-Mobility-Quadrupole-Time-of-Flight-Mass-Spectrometry Ryan Hladyniuk (361) 749-3099 |
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| Lipid Analysis Lee Fuiman (361) 749-6796 |
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