From Stony Brook Makes a Splash with Best College for Marine Biology Ranking on Stony Brook News by Amelia Camurati on November 20, 2018
College Magazine has ranked Stony Brook University fourth on its list of “The 10 Best Colleges for Marine Biology,” the only university in New York State to make the top 10 list.
Stony Brook’s program in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) was regarded for its hands-on field research and experience in and around the Shinnecock Bay, the Peconic River and the greater Atlantic Ocean through the Marine Sciences Center on the Stony Brook Southampton campus.
“The center aims to serve three purposes: education, research and outreach,” the magazine said in its review. “By tying these three objectives together, Stony Brook students contribute to maintaining important New York ecosystems by including the surrounding community in their research, and teaching them about their findings.”
Faculty and students in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, led by Dean Paul Shepson, are engaged in cutting edge research both locally and globally, ranging from organic and inorganic compounds in planktonic systems to global climate change and sea level rise, from marine conservation to severe storm forecasting, and more.
“Our Marine Science Center has a fleet of research vessels that take classes on weekly trips into Shinnecock Bay, the Peconic River and the greater Atlantic Ocean,” senior Courtney Stuart told the magazine. “This gives us young marine scientists plenty of opportunities to strengthen our research skills and learn how to use advanced research equipment—such as handhelds CTDs, D.O. meters, Profiling SeaBird CTDs, Van Dorn water samplers and more.”
The School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) is SUNY’s designated school for marine and atmospheric research, sustainability studies, education and public service.
The school offers a number of degrees, including bachelor’s degrees in marine sciences, marine vertebrate biology, coastal environmental studies, environmental studies, and in atmospheric and oceanic sciences. The university also helps students explore new waters abroad with undergraduate and graduate courses in Cuba, Jamaica, Tanzania and the Bahamas.
SoMAS is one of the leading coastal oceanography institutions in the world and features classrooms on the water. The School also has a focus on studies of atmospheric sciences and meteorology and includes the Institute for Terrestrial and Planetary Atmospheres, Institute for Ocean Conservation Science, The Center for Clean Water Technology, Institute for Particle-Related Environmental Processes, Living Marine Resources Institute, Waste Reduction and Management Institute and the Long Island Groundwater Research Institute.
