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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Learn more about our subject areas

Marine Science Center
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.
Katie Lotterhos
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.
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.
View of Marine Science Center coastline
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.
students doing work in the lab
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.
Brian Helmuth
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.
a student doing work in the lab
Marine Molecular Biology, Biodiversity, and Genomics
We are employing rapidly advancing molecular biology techniques to answer a variety of relevant evolutionary and ecological questions.