Established by the State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees in March, 1965, the Marine Sciences Research Center (MSRC) was the predecessor of today’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS). Now subsumed within SoMAS, MSRC remains the designated locus for research, education and outreach in the marine sciences for the entire 64-campus SUNY network. MSRC scientists conduct research across the spectrum of disciplines that constitute the marine sciences, including physical oceanography, fisheries science, marine biology, marine chemistry, and geological oceanography. Much of the research conducted at MSRC is interdisciplinary, reflecting the inherent complexities of the ocean and the interaction of processes through which it functions. Research at MSRC is undertaken via a two-pronged approach: first, we seek to increase our basic understanding of the oceanic ecosphere; second, we apply these understandings to resolve environmental problems at local, national and global scales.
Some of MSRC’s work is conducted under the auspices of one of several institutes encompassed by the Center. The Living Marine Resources Institute, Groundwater Research Institute, Waste Reduction and Management Institute, Institute for Ocean Conservation Science and the Coastal Ocean Strategies Institute enhance and lend focus to the Center’s research capabilities in specific high-priority thematic areas.
MSRC – This Is Your Life Google Presentation showcasing the history of MSRC as it transitioned into SoMAS, created by Malcolm Bowman in 2007.
Visit the Archives for additional resources relating to the Marine Sciences Research Center.
MSRC’s logo is prominently displayed in Endeavour Hall. In this picture from 1976, former MSRC director J. R. Schubel, left, enlisted the services of his father-in-law, Dr. Marion Hostetler, Montpelier, Ohio, in the execution of the design. The logo consists of reduplicated circles depicting an estuary emptying into the ocean. The circle on the left is green, representing land and vegetation, while the one on the right is blue, representing the estuary and the sea. The logo graphically depicts MSRC’s commitment to the coastal environment.