The nation’s second-oldest federal marine science laboratory is getting a new home on Pivers Island.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on Thursday plans to fund $64 million from the 2025 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act to build a new facility for the Beaufort Laboratory.
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The longtime home of the Beaufort Lab, as it is more commonly referred, was shuttered in mid-October 2024 after significant hurricane-related structural damage was discovered during a routine inspection in the building’s foundation.
The Beaufort Lab was established in 1899 and predates NOAA by more than 70 years. It houses NOAA’s National Ocean Service and National Marine Fisheries Service’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center, and the North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve.
“For more than a century, the dedicated experts at NOAA’s Beaufort Laboratory have produced world-class science that supports our economy, advances national priorities, and enhances coastal resilience,” Dr. Neil Jacobs, NOAA administrator, stated in a release. “This state-of-the-art facility, located within the country’s second-largest estuary and adjacent to the Gulf Stream, will enable NOAA to continue its groundbreaking research while strengthening collaboration with industry and academic partners.”
NOAA says the new lab will expand its research and services in the following ways:
- Researching, monitoring and forecasting harmful algal blooms.
- Deploying uncrewed systems for underwater habitat mapping and coral restoration.
- Serving as a research hub to support South Atlantic fisheries management and stewardship of marine resources.
- Evaluating the performance of natural infrastructure for coastal protection.
- Managing the Rachel Carson National Estuarine Research Reserve and providing opportunities for education, research and compatible traditional uses.
Design and preconstruction work on the new facility, which will be built above the floodplain and designed to withstand storm and flooding events, is expected to begin early next year.
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