Wrigley Marine Science Center
An Immersive Home for Environmental Research
The Philip K. Wrigley Marine Science Center (WMSC) is the Wrigley Institute’s satellite location for research and education. In 1965, thanks to the generosity of the center’s namesake, the University of Southern California established a marine science outpost at Big Fisherman Cove on Santa Catalina Island, CA. That outpost has since grown into a vibrant research campus that hosts hundreds of graduate students and faculty and more than 1,000 undergraduate students each year.
Visit WMSC
Located just across the San Pedro Channel from Los Angeles, WMSC is nestled in a pristine natural environment that is still connected to one of the world’s largest and busiest urban areas. This unique setting enables researchers to investigate the intersection of people and the planet, exploring both the island’s natural coastal systems and the current and potential impacts of human activity in nature.
Operational Sustainability
WMSC serves as the Wrigley Institute’s testbed for sustainability solutions. Ongoing projects both support the long-term viability of our operations and serve as field experiments to test the feasibility of new practices and technologies.
