The Leigh Marine Laboratory is a marine research centre at 160 Goat Island Road in Leigh, Rodney. It is part of the University of Auckland's Institute of Marine Science, and its research aims to build a greater understanding of the marine environment. It sits alongside the Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre, which the website describes as open to the public.
The discovery centre offers hands-on ocean education and hosts schools, kura and community groups. It opened in 2012 and is based on the institute's campus, near New Zealand's first marine reserve at Goat Island. A name change to Te-Hāwere-a-Maki Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre is planned, and the centre plans to highlight the history of Ngāti Manuhiri. An Edith Winstone Blackwell Foundation gift of $4.5 million went towards a $10 million upgrade of the Leigh campus in 2008. Our pick in Leigh for a hands-on look at the ocean.