Ocean Sciences, Memorial University

🌊 Dive into discovery at our admission free Touch Tank! 🦀
Join us Wednesday–Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. for a hands-on marine experience that’s fun for all ages.
We can’t wait to see you! 🐚

Are you passionate about the ocean and enjoy connecting with people? We are looking for an enthusiastic Marine Interpreter to join our team on a part-time basis. 🌊

Check out one of the many recent articles on PhD student Sara Jobsons discovery!🧐

A fascinating discovery out of Memorial is challenging what we think it means to be “alive.”

PhD student Sara Jobson in the department of Ocean Sciences in the Faculty of Science studying a North Atlantic sea cucumber found that pieces of its tissue can survive — and even function — for years after being detached from the body. Instead of breaking down as expected, the tissue heals itself, reorganizes, and continues to carry out biological processes in natural seawater.

These so-called “zombie” tissues don’t grow into new animals, but they aren’t dead either — existing somewhere in between. The finding could open new doors in understanding regeneration, survival, and even biomedical science.

Read more about it on the Gazette: https://gazette.mun.ca/research/zombie-sea-cucumbers/

Our touch tank is now open! Come meet all our animals at the Ocean Sciences Centre in Logy Bay! Open Wednesday-Sunday from 10-4:30pm until the beginning of September 🦀🌊🪸🐚

You can still apply! We've extended our deadline and are hiring for part time positions

From the lab to the headlines — Ocean Sciences PhD student Sara Jobson from Dr. Annie Mercier's lab is getting major attention for her latest paper titled "Natural tissue immortality: Indefinite survival of sea cucumber explants" 🌎🌊

The research is sparking conversations across media outlets and highlighting why ocean science matters now more than ever. Congratulations Sara!

Check out the story and the paper here: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb1394
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-secret-to-immortality-might-be-a-sea-cucumber/
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-severed-piece-sea-cucumber-die.html
https://nautil.us/can-cells-from-a-sea-cucumber-live-forever-1281447

Natural tissue immortality: Indefinite survival of sea cucumber explants Biological immortality of marine tissues offers previously unexplored potential for ethically unconstrained biomedical and aging research.