University of MarylandCenter for Environmental Science

Guiding our state, nation, and world toward a more sustainable future.

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science leads the way toward better management of Maryland’s natural resources and the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. From a network of laboratories located across the state, our scientists provide sound advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. 

Research Highlights

Chesapeake Bay's role in greenhouse gas release and capture

A team of scientists from UMCES spent several days aboard the Chesapeake Bay research vessel Rachel Carson collecting DNA from the Chesapeake Bay. Their goal was to understand how much the Chesapeake Bay is a source of greenhouse gases to atmosphere versus a sink, or container, and how it impacts the Earth’s changing climate.
Two researchers on a research Vessel

Research Highlights

Harmful Algal Blooms

Every drop of water from a body of water is full of algae. Most of them are the beneficial. We need those algae because they are the base of the food web for all marine life. Unfortunately, a small fraction of that algal community can be harmful.
Bright Green Harmful Algal Bloom

Research Highlights

Fighting Surging Seas in a Changing Climate

It is not an uncommon sight to see flooding from storm surges and high tides in some low-lying communities on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. With rising tidal ranges and threats of flooding from more intense storms, coastal communities are having to face harsh realities and decide on potential solutions to encroaching seas.
Ming Li on a Coastline

Core Research Areas

Biodiversity & Invasive Species

Climate & Energy

Coastal & Estuarine Science

Environmental Chemistry & Toxicology

Fisheries & Aquaculture

Genes & Microbes

Ocean Science

Restoring & Sustaining Ecosystems

Terrestrial Ecology & Land Management

Water Resources & Watersheds

Our Campuses

Appalachian Laboratory
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Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
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Horn Point Laboratory
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Institute of Marine & Environmental Technology
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Integration and Application Network
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Water meets marsh and land
Maryland Sea Grant College
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Appalachian Laboratory

From the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay, Appalachian Laboratory scientists conduct research on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems throughout the world, with an emphasis on the rich and diverse environments of Western Maryland and the broader Appalachian region.
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Chesapeake Biological Laboratory

Located where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay, the oldest publicly supported marine laboratory on the East Coast is a national leader in research on fisheries, estuarine ecology, environmental chemistry, and toxicology research of the Chesapeake Bay and aquatic ecosystem around the globe.
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Horn Point Laboratory

From the banks of the Choptank River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, scientists engage in world-renowned research in oceanography, water quality, restoration of sea grasses, marshes and shellfish, and expertise in ecosystem modeling.
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Institute of Marine & Environmental Technology

Located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, scientists pursue cutting-edge research in microbiology, molecular biology, and biotechnology, using marine microbes to develop alternative energy, and supporting sustainable aquaculture and fisheries.
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Integration and Application Network

The Integration and Application Network (IAN) is a dedicated group of scientists intent on solving, not just studying environmental problems.
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Maryland Sea Grant College

Fostering strong connections between researchers and natural resource managers working to restore the Chesapeake Bay.
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Graduate Education

Graduate Education

Applied Ecology & Conservation Biology

Gain scientific training in addressing conservation issues, especially those pertaining to the persistence of native communities in a changing environment, landscape fragmentation, conservation/development conflicts, watershed assessment, and integrated resource management.
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Earth & Ocean Sciences

Students explore the movement and transformation of materials and energy between mountain headwater and estuarine, coastal, and oceanic systems. Topics include landscape dynamics, physical circulation and transport, chemical transformation, and biological reaction.
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Ecological Systems

Spanning the Arctic to the Chesapeake Bay, students study a variety of topics, from landscape ecology to ecological genomics, to fisheries stock assessment. Research is focused on understanding the interactions between organisms and their environment, leading to valuable scientific discovery.
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Environment & Society

Integrating the social and environmental sciences, students will study concepts including coupled natural and human systems, cultural models of the environment, political ecology, participation and governance, ecological economics, and environmental ethics.
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Environmental Molecular Science & Technology

Students use current molecular approaches to study biodiversity, bioremediation, food chains, discovery of drugs and enzymes from marine microbes and macoorganisms, sustainable aquaculture, biofuels, biogeochemistry of carbon cycling, and genomics/metabolomics of marine organisms.
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Molecular Medicine & Toxicology

Developing scientists can pursue training in molecular and mechanistic toxicology and toxicology and environmental health, including mechanisms of cell injury, carcinogenesis, reproductive toxicology, neurotoxicology, aquatic toxicology, and environmental epidemiology and toxicology.
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Molecular Microbiology & Immunology

Learn to take the lead in this program that provides interactive, multifaceted education, and research training to present students a comprehensive education in molecular and cell biology, microbiology and immunology.
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Wildlife & Fisheries Biology

This program will prepare you for research and management positions within the public and private sectors. The program allows flexibility, yet offers courses necessary for certification as a biologist with various professional organizations.
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What's New

Dr. Beth Polidoro Named Director of UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) has named Dr. Beth Polidoro, a renowned expert in marine science and environmental chemistry, the new Director of its Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL).

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science: A Century of Innovation and Impact
UMCES will celebrate its centennial year with an event series highlighting legacy and future vision for 2025 and beyond.

Globally diverse working group mobilizes to tackle increasing oceanic salt intrusion into estuaries and tidal rivers

Ming Li and an international team of scientists will address increasing salt intrusion and its impacts on freshwater resources and water supplies, an increasingly global threat, over the next four years.
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