Center for Coastal Resources

The goal of the Center for Coastal Resources (CCR) is to provide scientific and technical information to managers, scientists, industry and the public to improve the management of natural resources. CCR's outreach activities focus on pollution and water and sediment quality; ecosystem impacts; and habitats. A variety of outreach and education activities are offered to transfer information to a broad audience, including conferences, workshops and courses on timely topics. Through CCR, students participate in ongoing research in Boston Harbor and Massachusetts and in related management and policy issues as preparation for careers in estuarine and coastal science, policy and management.

Founded in 1991, MIT Sea Grant's AUV Lab is dedicated to the development and application of autonomous underwater vehicles. Because our vehicles can function without tethers, cables, or remote control, they have a multitude of applications in oceanography, environmental monitoring, and underwater resource studies. In addition to being a leading developer of advanced unmanned marine robots, the laboratory also serves as a training ground for graduate and undergraduate students, visiting engineers, and scientists from around the world who both learn from and contribute to the lab's current research activities.

Center for Marine Social Sciences

The aim of The Center for Marine Social Sciences (CMSS) is to explore the human, social, and political aspects of marine-related issues. This work helps identify solutions to complex issues and contributes to policy development. CMSS will continue to focus on the fishing industry and those communities it supports. In addition, CMSS is concerned with coastal zone issues in which the human context can greatly influence the acceptance of management policies. The center will also continue to provide critical assessments of proposed management plans for regional management authorities.

Center for Fisheries Engineering
(CFER)

The Center for Fisheries Engineering Research (CFER) is a focused research effort of the MIT Sea Grant College Program. CFER's mission is the solution of problems facing the fishing and aquaculture industries of Massachusetts and the nation. While all CFER projects include the application of engineering know-how, projects are typically multidisciplinary and often involve biological, social and management issues.

Communications

Communications ensures that information about the program's research, outreach, and education activities reaches the public. In this way, we help ensure that citizens can make informed decisions about marine and coastal issues that affect their lives and their communities. Our work involves both electronic and traditional media, as well as outreach efforts.