Analytical Lab

Supporting the Research Community

Welcome

The MSI Analytical Laboratory is a facility established in 1977 that performs chemical analysis in support of the research community.

Rockfish swimming in kelp forest
Katie Davis Koehn

The MSI Analytical Lab offers comprehensive analytical services including seawater nutrient analysis; elemental carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen (CHN) analysis; and stable isotope analysis of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. We provide simultaneous determination of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen content, along with δ¹⁵N, δ¹³C, and δ³⁴S in solid materials. Our laboratory prepares all solid samples for analysis, including precise weighing and encapsulation in tin capsules. We also analyze water samples for dissolved inorganic nutrients and support a range of additional aqueous matrices, including seawater, freshwater, estuarine water, groundwater, and neutralized digests.

Contact

Ken Marchus
Lab Manager
Aaron Martinez
Staff Research Associate

Location

Analytical Lab
Bldg 520 Rm 1011
University of California Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106

Mailing Address

Analytical Lab
Marine Science Institute
Bldg 520 Rm 4002
University of California Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106

Hours

Monday through Friday 6:00am-3:00pm
The lab is closed on all UCSB administrative holidays.


Holidays 2026

New Year Holiday Thursday, January 1, 2026
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Monday, January 19
President's Day Monday, February 16
Cesar Chavez Holiday Friday, March 27
Memorial Day Monday, May 25
Juneteenth Friday, June 19
Independence Day Friday, July 3
Labor Day Monday, September 7
Veteran's Day Wednesday, November 11
Thanksgiving Thursday, November 26
Friday, November 27
Winter Holiday Thursday, December 24
Friday, December 25
Winter Curtailment Monday, December 28
Tuesday, December 29 
Wednesday, December 30
New Year Holiday Thursday, December 31, 2026
Friday, January 1, 2027