September 3, 2026 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will use $64 million in federal disaster funding to rebuild its historic Beaufort Laboratory after hurricane-related structural damage forced the facility to close permanently for safety reasons.
The project will be funded through the 2025 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, with design and preconstruction work expected to begin in early 2027. The new laboratory on Pivers Island will be built above the floodplain and designed to withstand future storms and flooding.
The Beaufort Laboratory was established in 1899 and moved to Pivers Island in 1902. It is the nation’s second-oldest federal marine science laboratory and predates NOAA by more than 70 years.
The main laboratory building being replaced was 62 years old and housed most of the laboratory space on the campus, along with offices for about half of the lab’s staff. The building was permanently closed in 2024 after a routine inspection identified foundational damage that made continued occupancy unsafe.
Republican US Rep. Greg Murphy, whose 3rd Congressional District includes Beaufort and Carteret County, said he had advocated for the reconstruction of the facility since it was damaged.