An Immersive Home for Environmental Research

The Philip K. Wrigley Marine Science Center (WMSC) is the Wrigley Institute’s satellite campus 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.

Plan your visit

Visit WMSC

Located just across the San Pedro Channel from Los Angeles, the Wrigley Marine Science Center 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 ecosystems and the current and potential impacts of human activity in nature.

WMSC is a full-service, 40-acre university campus, with labs and classrooms, boating and diving facilities, dining and residence halls, and an expert support team of research technicians, educators, and facilities and hospitality professionals.

Plan your visit
Aerial view of the Wrigley Marine Science Center campus, showing a pier and boat dock and several buildings on a green hillside, looking toward the ocean and the mountains of Catalina Island's West End

Operational Sustainability

The Wrigley Marine Science Center serves, in part, as the institute’s living laboratory 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.

Explore our projects
two students plant a tree in a grassy ravine while other students dig holes for plants behind them

Visit Us Virtually

Enjoy a live view of the underwater world in our cove! Explore.org hosts this 24/7 livestream of Big Fisherman Cove, where our students and researchers often work. See if you can spot a Garibaldi (California’s bright-orange state marine fish), giant sea bass, or one of the other species that like to hang out near our campus.

closeup of a kelp frond underwater in the ocean
Livestream Big Fisherman Cove

Livestream Big Fisherman Cove

Ready to book your visit?

Please click the option that best fits your needs or situation. A member of our reservations team will follow up with you to discuss your visit.

Note: All research visitors must review our Lab Supervision Policy and submit a Research Activities Plan along with their reservation.

Rates and Fees

Due to the terms of our funding, the Wrigley Institute is required to charge different rates depending on a group’s relationship to the institute or to USC. Please use this link to find the appropriate fees for your group.

Most Groups: Book Your Visit

Use this link to make a reservation request for most research or educational visits.

If you are a member of a state- or federally-recognized tribe, or part of a student group seeking to visit WMSC for a photo or video project, please DO NOT use this link. Use the appropriate link below instead.

State- and Federally-Recognized Tribes

The Wrigley Marine Science Center is open to State- and/or Federally-Recognized Tribes who seek access to the campus for cultural purposes. So that we may do our best to meet your needs, please use this option instead of our standard reservation form.

Student Photo or Video Projects

If you are a student or student group seeking to visit WMSC for a photo or video project, please use this option to submit a proposal for your project. All other student groups, please use the standard reservation form.