Associated Press - August 27, 2009 2:05 AM ET

NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) - Gov. Ted Kulongoski says residents of Newport are still "ecstatic" weeks after learning the coastal town will be the new home of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's West Coast marine operations center.

Kulongoski said Wednesday after getting a briefing from local port and NOAA officials about the move that "It's almost like a nonstop birthday party."

NOAA announced earlier this month that it would transfer the center and a fleet of research ships assigned to it from Seattle to Newport, a move that will involve about 175 jobs.

Kulongoski noted that Newport already has Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center and the nearby Oregon Coast Aquarium.

With the addition of the NOAA ship base, he said, Newport "is going to become the center of ocean research in the Northwest."

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