Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve Field Station
Mission Bay // A new home base for research in Mission Bay
Photo: Erik Jepsen / UC San Diego media photo
Since 1965, the 16 acres of Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve on the northern edge of Mission Bay has provided an invaluable tool for UC San Diego academics studying marshland. The reserve is part of the UC Natural Reserve System, which comprises dozens of protected natural spaces across the state reserved for academic use. UC San Diego has four Natural Reserve System sites–Kendall-Frost, Dawson Los Monos Canyon Reserve, Elliott Chaparral Reserve, and Scripps Coastal Reserve.
A new field station and community learning center opened on the site in 2024, providing increased access to the reserve for visiting academics and community members. This new station replaces a temporary facility at the marsh. A mural by Celeste Byers, displayed at the former facility, was repurposed and reinstalled on benches and decorative canoes at the new field station.
UC San Diego and Scripps Institution of Oceanography dignitaries toured the new field station and adjacent marsh on opening day. (Erik Jepsen / UC San Diego media photo)
According to UC San Diego, the new field station is intended to “enhance UC San Diego’s ability to conduct vital research, educate the community, and foster a deeper understanding of our natural environment.”