Who We Are

We are Oregon's Marine Experiment Station, collaborating with the fishing and seafood industry, agencies, and our local maritime communities as the state’s primary research engine supporting use and conservation of marine resources. Our key focus areas include fishery biology and ecology, aquaculture, genomics, seafood science and technology, seafood marketing, resource and environmental economics, ecotoxicology and environmental stress, and the effects of sharks on marine environments.

Officially established in 1989, the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station (COMES) was the first interdisciplinary marine experiment station in the United States. Its formation was the result of efforts by Oregon fishers and University leaders to conduct applied fishery and seafood research consistent with Oregon State University’s land grant mission. In order to best serve all aspects of the fishing and seafood industries, the Seafood Research and Education Center in Astoria was integrated into COMES, creating numerous opportunities for interdisciplinary research and innovation.