The W. J. DeFelice Marine Center sits at the end of Highway 56 in Cocodrie, in the estuarine wetlands between the Atchafalaya and the Mississippi, about 85 miles southwest of New Orleans. It is the main facility of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, which the legislature enacted in 1979. Employees moved in during 1986, and the center was dedicated in May 1987. It was renamed for Woodrow J. DeFelice in January 1996.
The complex covers 75,000 square feet, with laboratories, classrooms, dormitory rooms and nearly 50 indoor and outdoor tank systems with running seawater. Hurricane Ida, on August 29, 2021, damaged offices, dorm rooms, plumbing and the roof, and full programming did not return until spring 2023. LUMCON operates the research vessel Pelican, built in 1985, which in May 2010 was among the first scientific ships at the Deepwater Horizon spill site.
Visitors can tour on their own from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week, past aquaria and educational exhibits to an observation tower and a pond boardwalk for birdwatching. Groups of more than 10 can arrange a guided tour or a longer trip into nearby marshes, bays or islands. The address is 8124 Highway 56. The center's visit page is archived and lists no fee, so call 985-851-2800 to confirm hours before driving south.
The closest stops worth working into your route
Roadside plaques and monuments within a short detour