Dear Educator,

Thank you for your interest in the Duke Marine Lab located on Piver’s Island in coastal North Carolina. Piver’s Island is part of the Newport River estuary and is about 2 km from the ocean via the Beaufort Inlet. Coastal and estuarine species and a variety of habitats (marshes, mudflats, sand flats, beaches, creeks, channels and coastal ocean) are readily accessible by visiting groups. The Duke Marine Lab is ideally situated to take advantage of these unique local marine and estuary environments.

The Duke Marine Lab does not offer guided academic programs for visiting groups but offers its facilities as a platform for outside groups. Many visiting groups explore the local area fleet of skiffs for transport to the Rachel Carson Reserve located on Carrot Island or Shackleford Banks. Historically, Duke Marine Lab graduate students have acted as field guides for a small gratuity ($60 - $100) depending on the duration of the trip. We may also be able to recommend other support for field guides, lab instructors and boat resources, so please ask about these resources if needed.

Wet lab space is available for classes and groups and can be covered by our specimen collection permits to collect invertebrates for study. All animal research should be pre-approved through the Duke Marine Lab Animal Care and Use Committee, contact Tom Schultz (tom.schultz@duke.edu, 252-504-7641) for details.

Typical daily room/board cost per student is $52.30, which includes three meals and a bed. Linen rental is $13 per person (includes bed linen, pillow, blanket, 2 towels and 2 washcloths). All housing at the Duke Marine Lab is in dormitories with common bathrooms (separated by gender). Private rooms (common baths) are available for an extra charge if space allows. For a complete list of room and board rates, please consult our rate schedule.

The Duke Marine Lab dining hall provides three meals per day that can be scheduled based on arrival and departure times. Bagged lunches are available by request for field trips. Standard meal times are: breakfast 8 - 9 a.m., lunch 12 - 1 p.m., dinner 5 - 6 p.m. Our staff is happy to cater special functions, outdoor meals, barbecues, clam bakes, etc. (pricing varies with event schedule and menu). Most special dietary needs can be accommodated. Please contact us with specific requests or questions.

While visiting the Duke Marine Lab, we encourage groups to explore other local attractions:

Please let us know if we can help you with any arrangements.

Best Regards,

Gilbert Mason
Duke Marine Lab Campus Services
gilbert.mason@duke.edu