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The Center for Marine Science (CMS) at the University of North Carolina Wilmington is dedicated to interdisciplinary approaches to answering questions in basic marine research. The mission of the center is to promote basic and applied research in the fields of oceanography, coastal and estuarine studies, marine biotechnology and aquaculture, marine biology, marine chemistry, and marine geology. Faculty from 11 departments with teaching and/or research interests related to the marine sciences participate in this program; including marine science researchers in the Departments of Biology and Marine Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Geography and Geology, Environmental Sciences, and Physics and Physical Oceanography. Center faculty serve on regional, national and international research and policy advisory groups and thereby contribute to the development of agendas on marine research in the United States and the world. International interactions with labs in Europe, North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, Bermuda, the Bahamas and Caribbean, the United Kingdom, and all regions of the coastal United States augment extensive programs addressing North Carolina coastal issues. By integrating these advisory functions with research programs of the highest quality, CMS enhances the educational experience provided by the University of North Carolina Wilmington for both undergraduate and graduate students in marine science.
The Center for Marine Science occupies a research and education facility located six miles from the main campus on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, providing support for coastal and marine science efforts throughout UNCW. The modern marine science center at Myrtle Grove has a total of 181,000 square feet of net indoor space including: a new 69,000 square foot marine biotechnology building and 12,000 square foot shellfish research hatchery, group meeting facilities for up to 150 individuals; fully equipped research laboratories, classrooms, and marine science laboratories; a greenhouse with running seawater; a radioisotope laboratory; computer workrooms, cold rooms, and walk-in freezers; temperature controlled rooms; autoclave and media preparation room; darkroom; chemical storage and balance rooms; fireproof vault for data storage; clean room; central analytic facility; sample processing rooms; aquarium room with running seawater; 7,200 gallon oceanographic test tank with electric overhead hoist; indoor storage; outdoor storage; shower/locker facilities; and outdoor facility for tanks with running sea water.
Core facilities include: nutrient analysis; DNA sequencing; oceanographic instrumentation; running seawater systems; and high-field NMR and stable isotope ratio mass spectroscopy. The seawater system provides raw, filtered, and purified seawater; tank farm services; and aquarium room services. The location of the center provides easy access to regional marine environments such as: tidal marshes/mud flats/sand flats/oyster reefs; tidal creeks; barrier islands and tidal inlets; the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; near shore marine environments; the Gulf Stream; hard bottom communities; sand dunes and maritime forests; and both highly developed and minimally developed estuarine environments. A 770-foot pier with docking facilities for several coastal research vessels is in place on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The center maintains 22 research vessels ranging in size from sixteen to sixty-eight feet as well as specialized equipment for offshore and nearshore/estuarine sampling and observation.
The Center for Marine Science serves as host for: the Coastal Ocean Research and Monitoring Program (CORMP); the Undersea Vehicles Program; an Extension Office for North Carolina Sea Grant; the Marine Mammal Stranding Network; the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve; and UNCW’s Marine Quest Program, an extensive community outreach program for public schools and adult education.
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