University students and staff opened the Cal Poly Pier in Avila Beach to the community Saturday morning.
The open house featured hands-on touch tanks filled with live marine creatures, microscopes for viewing ultra-small sea creatures and other interactive displays.
The event offered activities for kids, including lessons on whale migration and scuba diving simulations.
Professors and students from Cal Poly were at the open house to give tours.
"Normally when you're doing marine science, you're often on the coast right next to shore. You've gotta get on boats to go out and do anything in the water column. This gives us direct access to the open bay," said Benjamin Ruttenberg, Cal Poly Center for Marine Coastal Sciences director.
Nearly 2,000 students use the half-mile long pier each year for classes and research activities.
To learn more about the Cal Poly Pier and its history, click here.
