Public invited to tour UD's Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes

11:49 a.m., June 23, 2015--In the Global Visualization Lab (GVL) on the University of Delaware’s Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes, nine contiguous television screens display a multi-colored view of the Earth, exhibiting changing ocean temperatures worldwide. Then, with the click of a mouse, the screen zooms in on North America, the United States, Delaware and finally, the coast of Lewes itself.

Researchers in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment utilize the technology to study environments and marine life in real-time, using Google Earth to combine data from satellites, autonomous underwater vehicles and other sources stationed all over the world. They can track tagged wildlife, read ocean conditions as they happen and locate research vessels, among other things, making the GVL an important global and local research tool.

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Members of the public can visit the GVL as part of the continuing summer tours given on the Hugh R. Sharp Campus, home to UD’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE) and Delaware Sea Grant college program. Tours are free and run every Friday at 10 a.m. through June, and Monday, Wednesday and Friday in July and August.

Experienced docents guide visitors through Smith Lab and Cannon Lab, providing an insider view of campus research facilities and an opportunity to learn about ongoing research in the college, covering topics like wind power, shark habitats, coral and penguins, to name a few.

“It’s really an interactive process,” said lead docent Norma Morrison, who has been giving tours at the Lewes campus for five years. “The docents meet with the researchers to learn about the different projects going on in CEOE, and then we tailor the tours based on the visitors’ interests. We really have a lot of fun.”

New on the tour this year, visitors can learn about UD’s Robotic Discovery Laboratories, which opened in 2014 and house gliders, aerial vehicles and other advanced robots used for environmental exploration. Docents will describe the cutting edge robotics CEOE researchers use to map shark habitats, study Arctic environments and discover lost World War II planes in the Pacific Ocean, among other studies.

Other popular stops on the tour include a model of UD’s premier research vessel, the Hugh R. Sharp, and a display of preserved sea creatures, where visitors can come face-to-face with a tiny angler fish from the depths of the ocean. An elaborate mural of ocean topography displays marine environments from the surface down to trenches and hydrothermal vents, and is equipped with new digital QR codes that provide additional information for visitors with smartphones.  

From the campus, visitors also can see the Lewes turbine in action and learn about wind power. The turbine represents the important future of wind power capacity — it generates enough power to supply the campus labs and facilities, and still contributes to the local grid. 

Tours typically last about two hours, and are suited for ages 10 and up. Reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance. To schedule a visitor tour, contact Lisa Dorey at ceoe-tours@udel.edu or 302-645-4234.

For more information, see the campus tours website.

Article by Caren Fitzgerald