Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences (MEES) graduate program

The Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences (MEES) graduate program is a highly interdisciplinary, multi-campus graduate program in marine and environmental science. The program’s strength is drawn from the diverse expertise of its faculty affiliated with several USM institutions, as well as from government and non-government agencies. The program affords students an unparalleled opportunity to combine the expertise of the best environmental scientists in the region to guide their program of study.

The interests of students in the program are diverse but generally center on some aspect of the interaction between biological, physical, and/or chemical systems in the environment. Research activities range from studies of molecular mechanisms to fisheries ecology, chemical pollutants, or economics of environmental impact. Since its faculty members come from so many sources, MEES provides unique and valuable graduate education across a broad range of the environmental sciences.

Dr. Reginald V. Truitt, zoologist, and founder of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, penned this quote in 1932 to justify the need for fisheries research in the Chesapeake Bay. A pioneer of environmental science in Maryland, Dr. Truitt was among the first to realize the Bay’s growing decline—and it's potential for renewal with the assistance of humankind. His dedicated work and inspiring foresight gave rise to one of the world’s leading institutions for coastal studies.

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) traces its origins to the establishment of the Chesapeake Laboratory in 1925, the oldest state-supported marine laboratory in continuous operation on the East Coast.

Originally established to conduct scientific studies on Maryland’s natural resources, UMCES has become a scientific authority on the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed and a leading institution for the advancement of scientific knowledge of the environment around the world.