Marine Science Center
The Marine Science Center (MSC), part of the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, is Northeastern’s hub for marine research and education. Located on the peninsula at historic East Point in Nahant, MA, the MSC juts into the ocean just five miles north-northeast of the entrance to Boston Harbor.
Faculty at MSC
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Chengfei He
I’m a climate modeler with a passion for advancing our comprehension of climate change.I began my Ph.D. in the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS) department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. However, due to my advisor’s new faculty appointment, I transferred to The Ohio State University, where I ultimately received my Ph.D. Prior to this, I […] -
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Damon Hall
My research and teaching focus on the human dimensions of sustainability challenges where science, policy, and culture meet. I am interested in questions about how to make knowledge useful for sustainable transitions. My work addresses two related themes: (1) the representation and communication of social–ecological systems in decision making and (2) meaningful stakeholder participation in […] -
Gabriela Garcia
Research in Gabriela Garcia’s group is positioned at the intersection of today’s biodiversity, food security, and climate crises. As shifting precipitation patterns and extreme events disrupt agroecosystem function and threaten farmer livelihoods, they advance a predictive framework for understanding how socio-ecological systems respond to disturbance. The group integrates ecological fieldwork, qualitative interview analyses, and large-scale […] -
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Cristina Schultz
Cristina Schultz studies the influence of climate change and variability on ocean biogeochemistry using a combination of models and observational data. Her focus is on understanding the feedbacks between ocean ecosystems, sediment, and circulation, and their influence on the carbon and oxygen cycles. Understanding the mechanisms that affect the carbon cycle in the ocean is […] -
Remy Gatins
My research is broadly focused on the ecology and evolution of marine organisms. I am interested in understanding the ecological and evolutionary processes that drive biodiversity patterns in a rapidly changing environment at the genomic, population, and species-level. Evolutionary processes such as adaptation and speciation—the process by which new species arise—depend on the population’s genetic […] -
Jim Chen
Dr. Jim Chen’s expertise is in coastal engineering and science, particularly in the development and application of state-of-the-art numerical models to address coastal resiliency and sustainability. -
Aron Stubbins
The Stubbins Lab studies the carbon cycle and chemistry of natural waters.
Research at the MSC
Marine Science Center researchers conduct vibrant, diverse research, focusing primarily on climate change impacts to marine habitats and how coastal urban communities can best prepare for these effects.
Climate Change and Ocean Acidification
We use a combination of field and laboratory techniques to better understand the novel adaptations of living organisms and the evolutionary pressures that have led to the vast diversity of life on earth.
Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology
Using state-of-the-art technology and diverse scientific perspectives, we document how the oceans and the organisms that inhabit them have changed (and continue to change) through time.
Coral Reef Ecology
We use field and laboratory techniques that employ cutting-edge technology to better understand the complex relationships between corals and the diverse communities that they support.
Coupled Human Natural Systems
We use a variety of experimental, observational, and socio-economic approaches to engineer solutions designed to mitigate the problems facing coupled human/natural systems.
Marine Molecular Biology, Biodiversity, and Genomics
We employ rapidly advancing molecular biology techniques to answer a variety of relevant evolutionary and ecological questions.
Facilities at the MSC
The Marine Science Center has a wealth of research equipment and resources that support the diverse research programs of faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.
Education at the MSC
BEACHES
This three-day workshop, held annually in June, aims to demystify the process of applying to graduate schools in the fields of Marine Science, Environmental Science, Geoscience, Ecology, and Evolution. BEACHES targets students who identify with groups underrepresented in STEM fields, first-generation college students, and students who do not have ready access to the graduate school pipeline.
Three Seas Program
Spend a year in the field studying three unique marine environments that include North Atlantic rocky shores, tropical coral reefs, and North Pacific kelp habitats while networking with world-renowned faculty and alumni.
Cooperative Education
Co-op at the Marine Science Center allows students to experience four- to eight-month industry experience on the 20-acre campus in Nahant, where they’ll work with state-of-the-art technology in areas ranging from research, lab technicians, and marine robotics.
Questions?
Get answers to common questions about research and education opportunities at the Marine Science Center.
MSC Outreach Programs
We strive to share the innovative research and unique environments of the Marine Science Center directly with students and communities by welcoming visitors from around the world for special events and programs and sharing online STEM resources and research news. Visitors to our Nahant campus range from gradeschoolers who are learning about the ocean’s habitats, to university-level researchers who are working on a field study.
Outreach at the Marine Science Center revolves around community interaction both with us coming to you, and you coming to visit us.
Marine Science Center News
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News
What made the Texas flash flood so deadly and how AI could improve forecasting
The deluge that surged through Central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend devastated the hill country and shocked the world with its intensity and loss of life. The Guadalupe River at Kerrville rose from 1.73 feet to 34.29 feet in three hours on July 4, according to a river gauge maintained by the federal government. The […] -
News
What impact would a proposed change to the Endangered Species Act have on marine plants and animals?
Dan Distel, research professor at Northeastern University’s Marine Science Center. weighs in on how the proposed regulatory changes would impact the Endangered Species Act. -
Research
From eelgrass on the West Coast to salt marshes on the East Coast, Northeastern professor Randall Hughes shows expertise
Randall Hughes, Northeastern professor of marine and environmental sciences, has been recognized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science as a 2024 lifetime fellow. -
Research
Shells of their former selves: How sea snails have adapted to invasive predators
Geoffrey Trussell, a professor at NU’s Marine Science Center, has been studying the evolution of two species of sea snails off the coast of Maine since the 1990’s. In short: the snails have grown thicker shells! -
Research
Scientists identify rapid evolution in marine species under predator invasion
A groundbreaking study by Geoffrey Trussell and James Corbett at Northeastern University, published in Science Advances, outlines one of the first examples of rapid evolution in a marine system in response to an invasive predator and warming oceans. -
Research
Protective salt marshes along coasts are in danger across the globe but it’s not too late to act, Northeastern researchers say
Salt marshes like Belle Isle in Boston provide vital ecosystem services, but sea-level rise threatens their future without urgent restoration efforts. -
News
What happens to sea life during hurricanes? Can they move to calmer waters? A marine scientist explains
Some marine animals will escape by going farther out to sea; however, others could perish along the beaches, says Mark Patterson, a professor at Northeastern’s Marine Science Center. -
Wrapping up the MES Fall 2023 Undergraduate research experience in style!
Our undergraduate scholars presented their findings while engaging in Q&A dialogue with the audience. Each student provided in-depth analysis of data obtained throughout the course of their research at Northeastern University. -
Is a volcano about to erupt in Iceland? Expert explains the telltale signs an eruption might occur
Residents of Grindavik, a fishing town in southwestern Iceland, have evacuated and a state of emergency has been declared, as local authorities say a volcanic eruption may be imminent.
Contact Us
430 Nahant Road
Nahant, MA 01908
T: 781.581.7370
F: 781.581.6076