Public to be treated to LUMCON tour

Ever wonder what the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) does to help marine life and habitats in the Tri-parish area?

Well, come Saturday residents can take a behind-the-scenes tour of the LUMCON facility at its open house at the Woody J. DeFelice Marine Center, 8124 Highway 56 in Chauvin.

The family affair is free to the public, and is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“From the opening of the day to the closing, residents will be able to browse the facility, allowing us to show the public what we do in Cocodrie,” said LUMCON spokeswoman Trudy Hebert. “LUMCON employees go all out to encourage the public to visit the facility.”

Attendees can participate in one-of-a-kind events, including the popular marine and natural history collection called the Bone Zone, or get up close and personal with one of the facility’s sea urchins at the Touch Tank.

“These are exciting events that people look forward to,” Hebert said.

LUMCON has asked historical guest speaker C.J. Christ to deliver a speech entitled “Residual Oil from World War II Sunken Ship Wrecks.”

Expert opinions about coastal restoration in Terrebonne Parish, The Dead Zone, coral reefs and the reintroduction of Bayou Lafourche will also be given in the marine center’s auditorium throughout the day.

Guest speakers on tap include Dr. Nancy Rabalais, LUMCON professor Dr. Paul Sammarco, University of New Orleans’ professor Dr. Denise Reed and Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program Director Kerry St. Pe.

“This will help the attendees gain an understanding of LUMCON’s research programs,” she said.

Parents will not be the only ones having an interesting time learning about what goes on in Cocodrie; school-aged children can participate in a scavenger hunt that will take them to all parts of the facility.

“They will get to tour the facility and win prizes for the different things that they find during the hunt,” Hebert said.

Both adults and children can participate in the cast net-throwing competition, the fish print contest, the Mud Grab, the photo contest, the weather monitor exhibit and the Invasive Species Shootout game for awards and prizes at the end of the day.

LUMCON, formed in 1979 to spearhead Louisiana’s activities in marine research and education, is governed by a six-member executive board comprised of chief executive officers of Louisiana State University and A&M College, Nicholls State University and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette

It is recognized all over the world for its coastal marine science program.

In fact, the marine center serves as the base of operation for research for the research and education program throughout the state and nation, not only for LUMCON, Hebert said.

“LUMCON offers coastal laboratory facilities to Louisiana universities, and conducts in-house research and educational programs in marine sciences,” Hebert said.

The majority of the facility’s programs are located at the marine center in Cocodrie.

Hebert said this location is situated within the estuarine wetland complex of the Mississippi River delta plain between the Atchafalaya and Mississippi rivers.

LUMCON oversees BTNEP, one of the 28 national estuary programs in the U.S.

“We provide ready access to the most productive estuaries in the U.S., to a variety of coastal environments and to the open Gulf of Mexico,” Hebert said.

“We have additional access to the special environments, a field station that is maintained at Port Fourchon,” she added.

It also serves as the financial agent for Coastal Restoration and Enhancement through Science and Technology, which is an alliance between 11 academic institutions in southern Louisiana and Mississippi.

Carl Sevin of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) shows a young girl samples of marine life pulled from the Gulf of Mexico. * Photo courtesy of LUMCON