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The James P. Muldoon River Center, located in Saint Mary's City, Maryland is a 13,000 square foot eco-friendly facility that houses the marine biology laboratories of the St. Mary's River Project which is run by the college, and studies the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers.
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St. Mary's River Project
The St. Mary's River Project, which is a part of the Muldoon River Center, is a state and federally funded marine biology research program, administered through St. Mary's College of Maryland.
Using the St. Mary's River and other nearby waters as field laboratories, the project investigates and monitors the water quality and the ecological health of both the St. Mary's River and the Chesapeake Bay. The project also promotes environment awareness and stewardship in Chesapeake Bay communities. Students work and study in all aspects of the programs activities, including classroom and hands-on field and laboratory learning.
The laboratories and offices of the project are located in the Muldoon River Center, a geothermally heated and cooled building on the campus waterfront.
Geothermal project at the Muldoon River Center
The Muldoon River Center has a geothermal heating and cooling system, with special pipes running 300 feet down into the ground, to tap the deep soil's energy management potential. The system cools the building in the summer and warms it in the wintertime with an extremely low impact on the environment.