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Outreach & Events

The Center for Marine Science at UNCW offers outreach programs and educational resources as well as events.

be our guest!

Ever wonder what we're working on at CMS?
Our annual open house is held in the fall and offers tours and a sneak peek of our current research. 

Interested in learning more about marine science topics?
Our Planet Ocean Seminar Series offers four lectures each academic year. Featured speakers include our own faculty as well as experts from well-known environmental organizations, government agencies and other leading research institutions.

The next Planet Ocean Seminar will be held in September. Keep an eye on our social media accounts for the latest details.

Coastal & Marine Science Events

The Planet Ocean Seminar Series is free and open to the public. Seminars are currently run as both in-person and virtual events, so registration is required. Once you register to attend virtually, you will receive the link to join the webinar. For further information, please call the UNCW Center for Marine Science at 910.962.2301.

2024-25 Series

Feb. 11, 2025
Axial Seamount, the Pacific Northwest's Most Active Undersea Volcano
with Dr. Scott Nooner, Professor in Earth & Ocean Sciences

 

watch recorded seminar


Nov. 12, 2024
The Surface Water and Ocean Topography Mission:
NASA's New Eye in the Sky for Earth's Water
with Dr. Tamlin Pavelsky

watch recorded seminar


Sept. 10, 2024
The Long-Lost Nile Branch May Help Solve the Riddle
Surrounding the Placement of the Largest Egyptian Pyramids Field
with Dr. Eman Ghoneim

watch recorded webinar 

2023-24 Series

Apr. 9, 2024
Emerging Challenges for Coastal Birds:
Sea Level Rise, Heat, and Disturbance
with Dr. Ray Danner

watch recorded webinar

Feb. 13, 2024
Robotic Oceanography:
Expanding the Impact from Science to Decision-Making
with Dr. Catherine Edwards

watch recorded webinar

Nov. 14, 2023
Sensory Systems to Self-Driving Cars:
Science at the Intersection of Mechanism, Theory, and Opportunity
with Dr. Lorian Schweikert

Dr. Schweikert's Lab

Sep. 12, 2023
An Overview of Marine Mammal Research at UNCW 
with Dr. Michael Tift

watch recorded seminar

2022-2023 Series

April 18, 2023
Conservation in a Changing Climate: Impacts on Seagrass Resiliency and Restoration
with Drs. Jessie Jarvis and Stephanie Kamel

Watch recorded seminar

Feb. 7, 2023
The Climate Crisis: Where We Are, What We Can Do
with Dr. Maureen Raymo

Nov. 15, 2022
Ten Things I Learned from Studying the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill for a Decade
with Dr. Steven A. Murawski

WATCH RECORDED SEMINAR

Sept. 13, 2022
A Tale of Two Brothers: Art Meets Science in the Open Sea
with Dr. Sönke Johnsen

WATCH RECORDED SEMINAR

VIEW PREVIOUS PLANET OCEAN TOPICS

 

Center for Marine Science Open House

The Center for Marine Science (CMS) invites you to tour campus this fall at our 2025 Open House, held on October 4, 2025 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Rain or Shine. We look forward to meeting you and showcasing the many aspects of marine science! FREE event with hands-on activities for all ages.

Come early!

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for future events and marine science news.

 

marine science outreach

The Coastal Ocean Research and Monitoring Program provides an interdisciplinary science-based framework that supports sound public policy leading to wise coastal use, sustainable fisheries and improved coastal ocean ecosystem health.

ACCESS NEAR-REAL TIME CORMP OBSERVATIONS

MarineQuest provides K-12 marine and environmental education in coastal North Carolina.

CMS-based MarineQuest Staff

Harris Muhlstein: MarineQuest School Program Coordinator
Morgan O'Connell: Research and Volunteer Coordinator

LEARN MORE ABOUT MARINEQUEST

The North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve (NCNERR) promotes informed management and stewardship of North Carolina’s estuarine and coastal habitats through research, education and example.

LEARN MORE ABOUT NCNERR

North Carolina Sea Grant provides research, education and outreach opportunities relating to current issues affecting the North Carolina coast and its communities.

LEARN MORE ABOUT NC SEA GRANT

UNCW and Oak Island Launch Coastal Resiliency Partnership

The UNCW College of Science and Engineering is excited to announce a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Town of Oak Island. The partnership establishes a three-year project to study the use of living shorelines to mitigate erosion in May Moore Park and Veteran’s Park.

UNCW and Oak Island Launch Coastal Resiliency Partnership

Protecting Beauty of Coral Reefs Provides Economic Benefits

Matthew McLean's recent study explores what makes a coral reef appear beautiful to the public.

Protecting Beauty of Coral Reefs Provides Economic Benefits

Marine Mammal Stranding Program Helps Rescue Manatee

Alison Loftis ’21, assistant stranding coordinator for UNCW’s Marine Mammal Stranding Program, was part of a team that rescued a manatee in Greenville, NC.

Marine Mammal Stranding Program Helps Rescue Manatee

Probiotics Show Promise in Slowing Coral Disease

Assistant Professor Blake Ushijima co-authored a groundbreaking study revealing a bacterial probiotic can slow the spread of stony coral tissue loss disease.

Probiotics Show Promise in Slowing Coral Disease

UNCW Hosts Coastal Reserve Tour, Highlights Research Partnership

UNCW welcomed state and local leaders to the Center for Marine Science on May 16 as part of the “Discover the N.C. Coastal Reserve” tour.

UNCW Hosts Coastal Reserve Tour, Highlights Research Partnership

Humpback Whales See Less Than We Thought

A new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and Duke University finds new knowledge of the humpback whale eye, revealing that these iconic marine giants possess surprisingly limited visual acuity—raising important questions about how they see their open ocean environment and how human activity may affect them.

Humpback Whales See Less Than We Thought

UNCW Names 2025 Research Achievement Awardees

UNCW Research & Innovation announced eight faculty researchers have been named recipients of the 2025 Research Achievement Awards.

UNCW Names 2025 Research Achievement Awardees

Associate Professor Joseph Covi Among National Class of Emerging Inventors

Department of Biology and Marine Biology Associate Professor Joseph Covi is among 162 honorees recognized this year by the National Academy of Inventors.

Associate Professor Joseph Covi Among National Class of Emerging Inventors

Zachary Long Receives 2025 UNC BOG Teaching Award

Zachary Long, associate professor in UNCW’s Department of Biology and Marine Biology, is a recipient of the 2025 UNC Board of Governors Teaching Excellence Award.

Zachary Long Receives 2025 UNC BOG Teaching Award

UNCW Awarded $1.5M for Coastal Research

UNCW has received $1.5 million in grant funding to lead the TEAL-SHIPS Transect Expedition, a groundbreaking project aimed at studying coastal land-to-sea habitats.

UNCW Awarded $1.5M for Coastal Research
Explore more CMS news

Tours & Events

CMS Policy for Tours

The Center for Marine Science (CMS) invites the general public to tour campus each fall at our Open House, typically held on one of the first couple of weekends in October – weather permitting.

CMS does offer tours for prospective students, these tours are conducted by a current graduate student who can share their student experience. Prospective students may register through our form.

Meeting spaces for the general public are limited, the Center does try to accommodate requests from educational, professional, environmental or civic groups when space is available. For availability and fees, contact CMS_EA@uncw.edu.

For more information call 910.962.2301.

Contact CMS

Center for Marine Science

Phone: (910) 962-2301
Fax: (910) 962-2410

5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane
Wilmington, NC 28409

Monday-Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Summer Hours

Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Friday, 7:30-11:30 a.m.