Clatsop Community College’s MERTS Campus: Maritime and Technical Training at Tongue Point
Photo: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
The North Coast’s economy depends on people who can run boats, fight fires and repair equipment. Many of them train at Clatsop Community College’s MERTS campus, which stands for Marine and Environmental Research and Training Station. The campus is on the Columbia River at Tongue Point, east of downtown Astoria.
What’s on the campus
MERTS is home to several of the college’s hands-on programs:
- Maritime Science. Courses for people who want to work on the water, from deckhand to licensed officer. Topics include seamanship, navigation, vessel operations and the safety training required by the U.S. Coast Guard for merchant mariner credentials.
- Training vessel. The college has used a training ship on the Columbia so students can practice on a working deck and learn navigation in real conditions.
- Fire training. The campus has hosted fire-response training facilities used by students and regional fire agencies.
- Industrial and technical trades. Programs in areas such as welding, manufacturing and automotive technology have been offered at MERTS, alongside the college’s main campus in Astoria.
Program offerings change over time. Check the college’s current catalog for what’s offered and where.
Why maritime training matters here
The lower Columbia supports a wide range of maritime work, including commercial fishing, tug and barge operators, research vessels, Coast Guard and Navy-related contracting, the bar and river pilot organizations and the region’s ports. Many of these jobs require Coast Guard credentials with specific training and sea-time requirements. Training close to home makes it easier for coastal residents to qualify without leaving the area, and it gives employers a local pool of trained workers.
Short courses, such as Basic Safety Training, firefighting and first aid, are also used by working mariners who need to renew credentials.
Tongue Point’s working waterfront
Tongue Point has been a maritime site for more than a century. In the 20th century it housed a naval air station and later a Navy installation. Today the area includes the college campus, a Job Corps center that offers vocational training, including maritime trades, and industrial waterfront property.
Visiting and enrolling
The college holds open houses and campus events from time to time, with tours, demonstrations and information about programs. People interested in maritime careers can talk with advisors about credential pathways, financial aid and short courses. The college’s website lists schedules, costs and contacts.
Sources: Clatsop Community College, Maritime Science and MERTS program information; U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center (merchant mariner credentialing); U.S. Department of Labor, Tongue Point Job Corps Center.
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