aging ▁area ▁for ▁field - based ▁research ▁program mes ▁along ▁the ▁Well ington ▁south ▁coast ▁and ▁surrounding ▁regions . ▁The ▁lab ▁maintain s ▁a ▁small ▁fleet ▁of ▁research ▁vessels ▁and ▁vehicles , ▁SC U BA ▁div ing ▁facilities , ▁research ▁infrastr ucture , ▁and ▁instrument ation ▁for ▁field - based ▁e colog ical ▁research . ▁V U CE L ▁provides ▁log istic ▁support ▁to ▁research ▁program mes ▁in ▁coast al ▁e col ogy ▁that ▁are ▁conducted ▁in ▁the ▁Well ington ▁region ▁and ▁throughout ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁the ▁Ind o - P ac ific ▁region , ▁and ▁Southern ▁Ocean . ▁ ▁Victoria ▁University ▁first ▁proposed ▁a ▁marine ▁lab ▁along ▁the ▁south ▁coast ▁of ▁Well ington ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁that ▁a ▁lab ▁was ▁established . ▁This ▁prede cess or ▁to ▁V U CE L , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Island ▁Bay ▁Marine ▁Lab , ▁occupied ▁a ▁building ▁that ▁was ▁originally ▁constructed ▁as ▁a ▁sh ark ▁li ver ▁oil ▁processing ▁plant ▁by ▁the ▁Gla x o ▁Company . ▁This ▁ 1 9 5 0 ' s ▁structure ▁supported ▁the ▁marine ▁bi ology ▁programme ▁of ▁Victoria ▁University ▁until ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁demol ished ▁to ▁make ▁way ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁purpose - built ▁coast al ▁e col ogy ▁labor atory . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁Port ob ello ▁Marine ▁Labor atory ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁Official ▁website ▁ ▁Category : V ict oria ▁University ▁of ▁Well