W. J. Defelice Marine Center

LUMCON’s main facility is an ideal and immersive location for research and education.

The W. J. DeFelice Marine Center is located in Cocodrie, LA., approximately 85 miles southwest of New Orleans. The Marine Center is situated in the heart of the estuarine wetland complex of the Mississippi River deltaic plain, between two active distributaries–the Atchafalaya River and the Mississippi itself. This site provides ready field access to the most productive estuaries in the United States and one of the largest wetlands in the world. In addition to the access to vast salt, brackish and freshwater marshes, the Marine Center also affords proximity to the barrier islands and offshore coastal and blue, deep waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. The distance from a major urban center and universities also affords opportunities for retreat. Consortium faculty, students, and other stakeholders may find solitude that allows them to focus on both research and education removed from distractions found in urban or campus settings.

The DeFelice Marine Center is a modern, 75,000 square foot complex of research, instructional, housing, and support facilities. The Center includes 26,000 usable square feet of laboratory, classroom, office, and library space. The variety, adaptability, and utility of the dormitory, educational, and research spaces at the DeFelice Marine Center are unique and allow LUMCON to serve the needs of the marine science community in a variety of ways. Dormitory rooms and five apartments provide housing for up to 80 people. A cafeteria/general meeting room is situated in the center of the complex. Eight research laboratories are equipped with running sea water. Six additional laboratories are reserved for dry applications and instrumentation. Laboratories are used for both the research and education programs. Education areas include one classroom and one main teaching lab, and the Distance Learning and Video Center (DLV). The DLVC is equipped to support hybrid meetings and broadcasting as well as function as a studio for video, photography, and podcasting.  A completely renovated  99-seat auditorium and flex use space equipped with high-speed wireless, four large monitors, and both projection and audio systems. It can be configured in multiple arrangements for teaching, training, and meetings.