The vast majority of the world’s population is located along the coast and within coastal watersheds. With greater use of marine and coastal resources and climate changes (including increased temperatures and storm intensity, sea level rise, and ocean acidification) concern is growing that human welfare will be greatly impacted, particularly in vulnerable coastal environments.
UMCES has a strong national and international reputation in Coastal and Estuarine Science, particularly with the work its researchers have done to revitalize Chesapeake Bay. Our scientists focus on nutrient cycling in estuarine and coastal systems, climate effects on food webs, sediment chemistry and transport, and plankton, benthos, marsh and seagrass ecology. While much of their work is concentrated in the Chesapeake Bay, their discoveries are relevant on a global scale.