MSUM’s hidden treasure, the Oceanarium, offers hands-on encounters with sea life
MSUM’s Oceanarium received a grant last year that allowed them to expand and open a community engagement center to provide visitors with an even more immersive experience.
By Paige Naughton, The Forum
June 25, 2023
MOORHEAD — Buried in the basement of Langseth Hall, the Oceanarium might be one of Minnesota State University Moorhead’s best kept secrets.
A person might miss the Oceanarium if they didn’t know where to look. Few signs point visitors into Langseth Hall. Once inside, visitors are directed through hallways and down a gated set of stairs into the basement, where the Oceanarium is nestled among storage rooms, a true deep-sea treasure.
What started out as a research lab has morphed into an immersive and educational experience for all. The large room is filled with tanks containing more than 50 species of sea life, including favorites such as stingrays and horseshoe crabs, according to their website.
The Oceanarium has been a work in progress for about eight years now, Phil Larson said.
Larson is the facility coordinator for the Oceanarium and a part of the biosciences department at MSUM. He started out as a student volunteering to help with the project and now works in the Oceanarium along with teaching the Oceanarium courses.