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Welcome

Located in Newport Beach, CA on Shellmaker Island, off of Bay Bay Drive next to the Newport Dunes. This facility provides year-round educational programs emphasizing estuarine and marine ecology; connecting these concepts to the greater watershed. Over 750 thousand people (approximately the total population of Alaska) live in this watershed, which incorporates nine densely populated and urbanized cities. Non-point source pollutants from these urban areas funnel down through the Back Bay estuary and out to the Pacific Ocean. The Back Bay Science Center strives towards educating local citizens, particularly future generations, on the critical role they play in their watershed. Our goal is for people to understand what specific activities they should or should not do at home that will help protect the Back Bay.

MISSION

Provide a hands-on facility where students and the public can study and enjoy the estuarine ecology of Newport Bay, and the marine ecology of the Ocean, while promoting natural resource conservation and stewardship throughout the watershed.

Back Bay Science Center

Is located on Shellmaker Island, part of the California Department of Fish & Game's 752-acre Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve.

Programs, Events, Tours, Visiting the Center

Please note that the Back Bay Science Center is not regularly open to the public or groups without being pre-scheduled or pre-registered for a specific function. Please visit the Education and Opportunities sections of our website for more information on activities offered. The facility does not have a visitors center like the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center and is located on an Ecological Reserve.