The Seymour Center is part of the Joseph M. Long Marine Laboratory, a research and education facility of the University of California, Santa Cruz. The laboratory is affiliated with the campus's Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS), which brings together scientists working in many different fields. The institute supports research in marine biology, marine toxicology, marine geology and geophysics, ocean processes, paleoceanography, and coastal processes and hazards. The subjects of IMS research range from microscopic plankton to massive blue whales; from frigid Antarctic waters to tropical coral reefs; and from the depths of the seafloor to the coastal cliffs. This diversity reflects the many ways in which the oceans affect the global environment and the lives of people around the world.
Long Marine Laboratory is known throughout the world for innovative research in marine mammal physiology and ecology, marine invertebrate ecology, and marine toxicology. The research conducted at Long Marine Lab depends on a seawater system capable of delivering 1,000 gallons per minute of high-quality filtered seawater.
Researchers and staff at Long Marine Lab have developed specially designed tanks and equipment that are used for studying marine mammal diving physiology, bioacoustics, and cognition. Facilities for marine mammal work include five large pools and five smaller pools. The largest pool is designed to be acoustically quiet and has an underwater viewing lab with large windows. The current population of marine mammals at the lab includes two Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins, three California sea lions, an elephant seal, a harbor seal, and two Southern sea otters.
The Seymour Center seeks to bring the endeavors and discoveries of the institute scientists to life for the public.