About the Marine Sciences Division
Established by the State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees in March,
1965, the Marine Sciences Research Center (MSRC) was the predecessor of today’s School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Sustainability Sciences (SoMAS). Now subsumed within SoMAS, the Marine Sciences Division remains the designated
locus for research, education and outreach in the marine sciences for the entire 64-campus
SUNY network. Our scientists conduct research across the spectrum of disciplines that
constitute the marine sciences, including physical oceanography, fisheries science,
marine biology, marine chemistry, and geological oceanography. Much of our research
is interdisciplinary, reflecting the inherent complexities of the ocean and the interaction
of processes through which it functions. Our research is undertaken via a two-pronged
approach: first, we seek to increase our basic understanding of the oceanic ecosphere;
second, we apply these understandings to resolve environmental problems at local,
national and global scales.
Some of this work is conducted under the auspices of one of several institutes encompassed by the Marine Sciences Division. The Center for Clean Water Technology, the Living Marine Resources Institute, Groundwater Research Institute, Waste Reduction and Management Institute, Institute for Ocean Conservation Science and the Coastal Ocean Strategies Institute enhance and lend focus to the Center’s research capabilities in specific high-priority thematic areas.
