The Richard B. Gump South Pacific Research Station is formally run by the University of California (UC). The 33-acre property was donated by Richard Gump to the UC system on March 9, 1985, when the station first opened. UC Los Angeles (UCLA) and UC Berkeley (UCB) run study abroad programs through the Station and scientists come from around the world to conduct their research here. Although the station was initially primarily run through UCB (and it is commonly known as a Berkeley station), in the years since other California schools, such as UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), have become more involved in the running of the station (learn more about what UCSB is doing in Moorea here). While the University of California system is tasked with running and managing Gump Station, it is open for use by local and global researchers alike. 

The mission of Gump Station is to:

“promote research, education, and public service in global change science, tropical biocomplexity, and sustainable development. With its local and international partners, the University of California is working to develop the island of Moorea as a model system to understand how physical, biological, and cultural processes interact to shape tropical socio-ecosystems, particularly coral reefs.”

Part of the Gump Station property is set aside for the Atitia Center, which is an educational center run through a partnership with the Tahitian Association Te Pu 'Atiti'a. The Atitia Center acts as an official link between Gump researchers and local community, focused on local outreach and education. Their mission is aimed at “documenting, promoting and preserving Polynesia’s biocultural heritage.”

In 2004, Gump Station became the home of the Moorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research Site (MCR-LTER). The MCR has permanent survey sites established to collect long-term ecological data across three different habitats (fringing reef, fore reef, backreef) at 6 locations around the island for a total of 18 sites. At each site, the LTER collects annual data on fish, algae, and invertebrate communities to track changes through time as part of a larger network of research sites funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Long Term Ecological Research Program. While the MCR-LTER conducts field work through Gump, it is somewhat independent and includes faculty from many institutions, not just those within the UC system (see full list of investigators here). Labs, boats, and equipment that are funded by the MCR-LTER are often only used by MCR-LTER member labs and collaborators. Additional rules and regulations might be enforced for MCR-LTER researchers or those using MCR-LTER equipment.

With support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Gump Station was also home to the Moorea Biocode Project (“Biocode”) that started in 2007. The project worked to genetically sequence (“barcode”) all-non-microbial marine life in Moorea. Although the project ended in 2011, labs, boats, and equipment remain under the name “Biocode,” although these are now available to all station users.

Gump Station Resources

Gump Station Board and On-Site Staff

Gump Station Contact Information