UNH Plans to Move Marine Lab

By Roger Wood on Tuesday, October 7, 2003.

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The University of New Hampshire is drastically modifying its earlier plans to build a marine laboratory on the Seacoast.

New Hampshire Public Radio Correspondent Roger Wood has more.

With $14 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, The University had planned to build a pier and marine laboratory adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard Station in New Castle.

But some local residents objected to the pier design.

And the State Division of Historic Resources ruled that three historic coastal defense structures could not be removed to allow the laboratory building.

So Jonathan Pennock, director of the UNH Marine program has announced a new plan.

It would split the project, placing a shorter pier in New Castle and a new lab building at the nearby Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne Point in Rye.

(Pennock) :18

"We see many advantages of being with nearby with the Seacoast Science Center, and we've been partners with them for many years. And we really think we'll be able to strengthen our partnership greatly with the proximity of the laboratory to the Seacoast Science Center if that works out."

Pennock pointed out that the new proposal is just at the beginning stage.

But he admits there are some disadvantages to moving the lab away from the pier.

(Pennock) :13

"Proximity is very important. Certainly, splitting the project for us is?There's a difficulty there. It's going to make it more difficult to move those organisms from the laboratory to the pier, and back and forth.

But Pennock also said that the compromise will allow the project to move forward.

And the Seacoast Science Center is also undergoing a renovation project this fall.

President Wendy Lull says it would be a good location for the UNH laboratory.

(Lull) :28

"We think that it's an incredible opportunity, not only for the Seacoast Science Center, but for all the residents of the Seacoast. As you probably recall, the University has been involved in outreach projects here at Odiorne Point since the 1970's, and you know, in a way it's a very nice culmination of bringing all of that advanced research back here to the park where we'll be able to interpret it and make that information available to everybody.

The modified proposal in New Castle would shorten the original pier from 500 to 325 feet.

That will be long enough to accommodate UNH research vessels and a NOAA ocean mapping ship.

The design will also provide for fish pens underneath for the University's aquaculture study program.

The University said that the designs for a laboratory building will now have to be redrawn.

But Project manager Jonathan Pennock said that, realistically, construction on both the pier and the laboratory could begin next fall and completed the following year.

For NHPR News, this is Roger Wood