Facilities

With so many ecosystems at our doorstep, the Jacksonville area is an ideal setting for an environmental learning center such as the MSRI. Centrally located in Duval County on the shore of the St. Johns River and just 12 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, Jacksonville University is the perfect setting for such a center, a veritable outdoor classroom.
The two-story building will be energy efficient, utilizing solar panels and a rainwater drainage system - a “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” (LEED) – Certified Facility. Just outside the planned 30,000-square-foot facility will be an amphitheatre serving as an outdoor classroom and teaching laboratories, along with a 40-foot pontoon boat as a floating classroom, complete with bow thrusters and a hydraulic anchoring system. The Millar Wilson Laboratory for Chemical Research will also move into the new facility.
The heart and soul of Jacksonville and Duval County is the St. Johns River. Our history and future as a community are based on a healthy river, dynamic waterway, and beautiful oceanfront. In order to protect and preserve these most significant natural assets, Jacksonville University has established a new Marine Science Research Institute (MSRI).
This project will consist of providing a direct link between education and the environment, identify problems and solutions of the various local aquatic environments and coordinate academics, research, public awareness and education.

Expertise

JU’s Department of Biology and Marine Science has been nationally recognized and has conducted extensive research on the St. Johns River and local Marine Environments. The Marine Science Program has a multi-disciplinary approach, valuable hands-on experience through internships and research, students involvement with field trips and clubs For more information go to http://marinescience.ju.edu.

The fresh water of the river,
the brackish salt marshes of the Intracoastal Waterway system, 
and the saltiness of the Atlantic Ocean combine
as the perfect learning environment.