Research

Researchers at the Marine Science Center engage in vibrant and diverse research. Many core research topics relate to understanding how the projected impacts of climate change will affect marine habitats, and how urban communities along the coast can best prepare for these impacts.

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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 lead to the vast diversity of life on earth.

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Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology

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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Joe Gladstone S'18 works in the greenhouse at the Marine Science Center in Nahant, Massachusetts on July 6, 2017

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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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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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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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.

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Marine Molecular Biology, Biodiversity, and Genomics

We are employing rapidly advancing molecular biology techniques to answer a variety of relevant evolutionary and ecological questions.

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