UNC Institute of Marine Sciences

08/28/2026

In Morehead City, the North Carolina coast serves as both a classroom and a research lab.

At the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences, faculty and students in the Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences are studying coastal ecosystems and the challenges shaping them. Their work spans living shorelines, oyster reefs, seagrass and coastal flooding, giving students opportunities to conduct research in the environments they study.

Discover how IMS is advancing marine science and supporting North Carolina’s coast https://go.unc.edu/e9WMt

08/28/2026

NOAA is investing funds to build a new laboratory facility in Beaufort, North Carolina, following structural damage that forced the permanent closure of the original 62-year old building. The new lab space will allow NOAA to continue its mission of providing state of the art research and resource management tools in coastal North Carolina and across the United States. https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/noaa-to-build-new-laboratory-building-at-research-facility-in-beaufort-north-carolina/

08/21/2026

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill junior Evan Calabria has been named an Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholar.

The earth and marine sciences major conducts research through the Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences and UNC Institute of Marine Sciences, studying marine invertebrates and coastal ecosystems. Calabria hopes to use his research to help coastal communities make informed decisions about the marine resources they depend on.

Explore how Calabria is turning his coastal research into real-world impact https://go.unc.edu/Zs53D

07/27/2026

UNC’s Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences is excited to announce Dr. Janet Nye as the Interim Director of the Institute of Marine Sciences!

Professor Nye served in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University in New York before joining UNC and the Institute of Marine Sciences in July 2020.

Dr. Nye is a nationally and internationally recognized quantitative fisheries ecologist whose research integrates laboratory and field data into innovative mathematical models to examine how environmental variability and climate change shape marine and estuarine ecosystems. Beyond her influential work on climate-driven shifts in fish population distributions, she is also a dedicated teacher and mentor, providing exceptional guidance to students and early-career faculty.

In this new role, Janet is “excited to facilitate the research that IMS has been doing for nearly 80 years that protects NC’s valuable resources and beautiful coastal environment while promoting economic growth and resilience in eastern North Carolina.”

We wish all the best to our former Director, Dr. Joel Fodrie, on his new endeavors!

07/06/2026

06/10/2026

Professor Hans W. Paerl was recently inducted into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine after a nearly 50-year career at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, recognizing his transformative impact on the state’s critical ecosystems.

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is the highest civilian honor bestowed by the governor of North Carolina.

Paerl, Kenan Professor of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City, also held joint appointments in UNC Earth Marine and Environmental Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences and in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. He retired last summer but continues to be involved at IMS as a research professor.

Two of Paerl’s innovative observation programs, called ModMon and FerryMon, have underpinned the understanding of North Carolina coastal systems for more than three decades.

Paerl has long instilled in his students the importance of protecting the world’s precious water resources, and reminding them that as a global human population, “we can survive without oil, but not safe drinking water.”

Congratulations to Dr. Paerl for this prestigious honor!
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https://go.unc.edu/pine

05/26/2026

Many thanks to TD Eure Marine Construction, LLC for donating materials, time, and resources to install permanent boundary poles for UNC-IMS’ experimental oyster lease at Phillips Island!

05/19/2026

By listening beneath the surface, scientists uncover how habitat shapes the hidden rhythms of estuarine life.

05/08/2026

Evianna Merriam combined science and teaching in her studies and will continue marine science research after graduation.

04/23/2026

A childhood spent at a Texas beach and watching “Free Willy” led her to become a marine biologist.