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

Science at Sea

I was just 55 miles from the nearest land, but it felt as though it could have been hundreds of miles away. The opportunity to join 15 scientists for six days off the coast of Bermuda gave me a great perspective on how important the world’s oceans are to our planet.
Scientist Michael Gonsior on deck of research vessel looking out onto the deep Atlantic Ocean

Research Highlights

Restoring streams

Streams are complex ecosystems. Researcher Bob Hilderbrand is looking at whether the costly restoration of degraded streams in Maryland is effective, or even possible.
close up of clear mountain stream with floating fall leaves and rocks on bottom

Research Highlights

Climate of North American cities will shift hundreds of miles in one generation

In one generation, the climate experienced in many North American cities is projected to change to that of locations hundreds of miles away—or to a new climate unlike any found in North America today. A new study and interactive web application aim to help the public understand how climate change will impact the lives of people who live in urban areas of the United States and Canada.
city skyline under burning sun

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
Learn More
Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Learn More
Horn Point Laboratory
Learn More
Institute of Marine & Environmental Technology
Learn More
Integration & Application Network
Learn More
Water meets marsh and land
Maryland Sea Grant College
Learn More
3
4
2
5
7
6

Appalachian Laboratory

Located in the mountains of western Maryland, the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, scientists study the effects of land-use change on the freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems of the region, how they function in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and how human activity may influence their health and sustainability on local, regional, and global scales.
Learn More

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.
Learn More

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.
Learn More

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.
Learn More

Integration & Application Network

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

Maryland Sea Grant College

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

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.
Find Out More

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.
Find Out More

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.
Find Out More

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.
Find Out More

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.
Find Out More

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.
Find Out More

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.
Find Out More

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.
Find Out More

What's New

E.U. Ambassadors discuss climate crisis at public forum
European Union Ambassadors to the United States spoke at a public forum at IMET in Baltimore on what their countries are doing to address the growing climate crisis.

Nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas, is on the rise
A new study from an international group of scientists finds we are releasing more of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide into the atmosphere than previously thought.

UMCES scientists complete study on Conowingo Dam and impact on Chesapeake Bay
UMCES scientists have completed a study to understand the potential impacts of nutrient pollution associated with sediment transported from behind the Conowingo Dam to the Chesapeake Bay.
View More News & Events