Welcome To Friends of the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

The Friends of the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories believe that scientific knowledge is essential to the preservation of the world's ocean and coastal environments. The faculty of MLML consists of internationally recognized experts in these areas. The Friends seek to serve as a liaison between MLML and the community-at-large, to support the research, education, and conservation work of the laboratories, fostering such support through public education programs, events, fundraising activity, and an active alumni association

The Friends of Moss Landing Marine Labs (MLML)is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization that involves and educates the public in the research and education efforts of MLML. Friends accomplishes this goal in a number of ways:

Publishing the WAVE newsletter

Conducting the public seminar six times per year

Maintaining and expanding the membership and MLML alumni database

Raising funds and facilitating three MLML graduate studentscholarships (Kim Peppard Memorial, John H. Martin and Martha Johnston Memorial Scholarships)

Maintaining and expanding retail sales to support the MLML student body

A History of the

Friends of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Friends was established in 1994 by a group of concerned MLML alumni and others individuals close to MLML after a trio of crises threatened the future of the labs. These crises were the1989 Loma Prieta earthquake (which demolished the labs and forced a move to several temporary sites), the state recession of the early 1990's, and the untimely death in 1993 of much-loved MLML director, John Martin, who had led the faculty and staff through a difficult recovery period and towards rebuilding the labs.

Friends began to carry on the public outreach functions of MLML by helping the labs resume their annual Open House, a popular event that had been shelved after the earthquake. Also, Friends started a regular bimonthly evening seminar series expressly for informing the public about the scientific research going on at the labs, and resumed the MLML custom of dispatching graduate students out to primary and secondary schools to present aspects of marine science to classes.

Soon, Friends began a newsletter (The WAVE), which in those days was distributed to alumni and others directly connected with MLML, and began seeking modest grants to outfit a formal office. With an office established, Friends began developing fund-raising events, and continued the MLML tradition of sending representatives to festivals and fund-raisers of other organizations in the Monterey Bay region. The final and very critical phase of the early years for Friends was a successful public relations campaign to help the labs through the permit process in order to begin rebuilding.

As construction on the new lab building actually began, Friends continued its public outreach and public relations programs, and its membership grew as the public became acquainted with MLML through various public events. Friends began publishing three issues of The WAVE per year instead of the original two per year. Its staff grew from one volunteer director and ½ time paid student assistant to a full time paid director and a full time administrative assistant/education specialist. Space was found for the Friends office in the new lab building, and two new projects began to take shape that Friends undertook with the labs. One project was to raise funds for designing and installing a Visitors Gallery in the new lab building to inform the public about the history of the MLML site and scientific activities of students and faculty. Another project was to raise funds, design, build, and maintain an outdoor boardwalk that would allow students, faculty and visitors access to the lab's neighboring marsh without unduly disturbing that fragile ecosystem.

In Summary, the Friends of MLML carry on the tradition of public education and outreach originally established by MLML. Friends also cooperate with other local institutions such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium to put on special programs for the public and provide some funding to students and faculty for research and educational efforts.