Our Location
The Woods Hole facility occupies 3.4 acres on Vineyard Sound. The facility houses both the Woods Hole Laboratory Research Divisions and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center Directorate. The Center provides overall management and direction for the five laboratories located in the Northeast Region.
What We Do
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center's Operations, Management, and Information Division serves as the focal point for the Center's budget functions, labor relations, strategic planning, grants and acquisition, facility management, environmental compliance and safety, personal property, fleet vehicle management, and administrative processes.
The Center's Operations, Management, and Information Division is responsible for the center and Region public affairs, constituent affairs, media relations, technical editing and publishing, research libraries, and library services. Oversight of the Woods Hole Science Aquarium, a research and public display aquarium, also lies within this Division.
Branches
Budget & Finance Branch
The Budget and Finance Branch is responsible for the Center’s budget and finance, procurement, and grants activities.
Facility Operation & Safety Branch
The Facility Operation and Safety Branch is responsible for all facilties, safety, security, and environmental compliance issues.
Research Communications Branch
The Research Communications Branch provides New England Fisheries Science Center and Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office leadership with comprehensive public affairs support and maintains the interface with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Public Affairs; provides the Region and the Center staff with editorial, scholarly publication, and library support; assists the Center's Academic Programs Office with planning and logistics for student programs; and promotes the Center's ocean literacy effort for the general public through operations of the Woods Hole Science Aquarium.
More Information
Our Leadership

Garth Smelser
Chief, Operations, Management & Information Division
Before coming to the Center, Garth served as Forest Supervisor of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Previously he worked at the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest in Washington. Garth completed his Bachelor of Science degree at the United States Naval Academy in 1995 after which he served as a Naval Flight Officer for eight years. He received his Master's Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Hawaii in 2003.