Letter to Our Friends and Colleagues

Dear Friends,

As you know, in the early morning of February 27th, a 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Chile, killing over 800 people, as well as producing massive damage to public infrastructure and private property. Many coastal towns and cities both on the mainland and the islands were subsequently hit by a large tsunami that ravaged what had been left standing by the earthquake.

One such town is particularly dear to all of us in the oceanographic community at the University of Concepción. Dichato, a small coastal town 45 km north of Concepción, has hosted the University’s Marine Station and its coastal research vessel, the Kay-Kay, for decades. Many generations of marine biology students, university researchers and visitors from Chile and overseas have come to Dichato Marine Station to teach, learn and carry out research in what was, until the earthquake, a peaceful, beautiful town with a community of fishermen and small businesses, as well as the permanent staff, students, and researchers at the Marine Station.

As a result of the tsunami, our Marine Station, which included labs, offices, two guest houses and staff facilities were completely destroyed. The instruments, samples, and other research materials within the Station were almost without exception also lost, and our research vessel, the Kay Kay, remains stranded a few miles inland. The students and University staff have been working tireless in assessing the damage, providing relief to our community there (as well as the larger Dichato community) and working towards rebuilding our research capabilities.

We know many of you would like to contribute to the reconstruction effort. If you would like to learn about ways to help, you can find information in the  “How to Donate” page.

Thank you very much.

Dr. Carlos Moffat (on behalf of everybody involved in this effort)
Department of Oceanography
University of Concepción

Concepción, March 15, 2010