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Aerial view of the Marine Science Center. Photo by Benjamin Bertsch/Northeastern University
Students in Northeastern's Three Seas program go for a dive at the Marine Science Center. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University
Laura Goetz S'18 Works works in professor William Detrich's lab at the Marine Science Center. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

Marine Science Center

The Marine Science Center is part of the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences. Often simply referred to as the MSC, the center is the marine research and educational facility of Northeastern University. Located on the peninsula at historic East Point in Nahant, Massachusetts, the MSC juts into the ocean just five miles north-northeast of the entrance to Boston Harbor.

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Principles of Community

A statement from the Northeastern MES and MSC community.

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Research

Offering a pristine New England rocky shore habitat in close proximity to Boston, the MSC is a globally recognized center of marine science research and education.

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Outreach

We welcome visitors from around the world for our special events and programs. Visitors range from toddlers who are learning about the ocean to university-level researchers who are working on a field study.

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More About MSC Research

Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology
We use a combination of field and laboratory techniques to better understand the novel adaptations of living organisms and the evolutionary pressures that have lead to the vast diversity of life on earth.
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Climate Change and Ocean Acidification
We employ state-of-the-art technology and diverse scientific perspectives to document how the oceans, as well as the organisms that inhabit them, have changed (and continue to change) through time.
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Fisheries and Ecosystem Service Valuation
We employ observational and experimental methods in the field and lab to evaluate the productivity of fisheries and ecosystem services and develop best practices to support our continued use of natural resources.
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Coastal Marine Ecology
We employ classic field ecology methods in conjunction with innovative laboratory manipulations and genetic tools to document species interactions, productivity, energy flow and biodiversity in coastal marine ecosystems.
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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.
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MES and MSC News

Brian Helmuth and lab technician Sahana Simonetti photographed conducting research on the shores of Northeastern's Nahant campus.

When a heatwave comes, this scientist takes a shellfish's perspective

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Mark Patterson pictured with Fetch, the autonomous underwater robot
Faculty Spotlight
July 22, 2021

This robot is going to map uncharted kelp forests in the Arctic–and the impact of climate change

Katie Lotterhos working in the lab
Faculty Spotlight
July 14, 2021

What would make oysters better? This scientist is figuring it out.

Marine and Environmental Sciences
July 9, 2021

Meet the Three Seas alumni making waves in their fields

Marine and Environmental Sciences
July 9, 2021

Did a legendary trout really ride the rails from California to Missouri?

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