University of Delaware's Lewes campus offering guided tours

LEWES — The University of Delaware’s College of Earth, Ocean & Environment and Delaware Sea Grant will host free tours of the campus this summer, under the guidance of a team of docents.

The work of the college’s researchers, which involves studies of the marine environment from the Delaware Bay all the way to Antarctica, is featured throughout the tours.

They will take place from 10 a.m. to noon every Friday in June and every Tuesday and Thursday from July through Sept. 3.

Tours outside the regular schedule may also be requested. The visits are geared toward adults in groups of five to 10. Children 7 and older are welcome, if a two-hour, science-focused tour suits their interest. If there are children in a group, it should be indicated upon registration.

Following a brief history of the facility and an introduction to its faculty and student body, attendees are guided through the main research centers on campus, the Cannon Lab and the Smith Lab.

In the Cannon Lab, highlights include a 200-foot-long museum-quality mural of ocean life, preserved samples of deep-water fishes and a detailed model of the university’s 146-foot research vessel, the Hugh R. Sharp.

In the Smith Lab, participants will see the Global Visualization Lab; the aquaponics lab, where edible lettuce is grown from fish byproducts; the robotics lab; various visuals related to ongoing coastal research; a sample of a hydrothermal black smoker chimney collected via a deep-sea submersible; and a presentation on the horseshoe crab.

In addition, five tours of the new Shellfish Hatchery will be offered this summer. They will follow docent tours and run from 12:30-1 p.m. June 7, June 21, July 2, July 16 and July 30. The hatchery tours can accommodate 15-20 people.

Reservations are required at least two days before a tour date and can be made by visiting udel.edu or by calling 302-645-4234.