School of Marine Sciences

The University of Maine’s School of Marine Sciences (SMS) is one of the nation’s largest marine research and education programs. SMS offers both graduate and undergraduate degrees; its faculty and students conduct basic and applied research on a wide variety of topics, and perform public service related to scientific policy for marine resource and coastal zone management. More than 50 faculty are affiliated with SMS, including full-time, part-time, and cooperating appointments. By its very nature, SMS is an interdisciplinary unit. Areas of expertise and research include physical, biological and chemical oceanography; aquaculture; marine biology; marine geology; marine resource development and policy; seafloor ecology; fish biology; fish pathology; fisheries science; seaweed biology; maritime studies; population genetics; molecular biology and toxicology; marine optics and acoustics and ocean engineering.

SMS faculty provide leadership in research programs that encompass all the world’s oceans, with emphasis on the Gulf of Maine. Faculty are headquartered at the Orono campus of UM and its coastal marine laboratory, the Ira C. Darling Marine Center (see Research Resources), and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Further information on SMS is on the web at: www.umaine.edu/marine.  Further information on the Darling Marine Center is on the web at http://server.dmc.maine.edu.

The School of Marine Sciences offers the following graduate degrees:

• M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Oceanography;
• M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Marine Biology;
• M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Marine Bio-Resources (administered jointly with Food Science and Human Nutrition);
• M.S. degree in Marine Policy; and
• Dual M.S. degree in Marine Policy and either Oceanography or Marine Biology.

The School of Marine Sciences offers core and advanced courses in all degree areas. Most specialized courses of study in the subdisciplines of marine science are also provided by various associated departments.  Financial support for graduate students is primarily in the form of research assistantships. Some teaching assistantships are available.

Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Oceanography

Oceanography is a synthesis of all marine sciences and requires a conceptual approach different from any individual marine science. Each student can expect an education and research program emphasizing an integrated approach to the field of oceanography. Both degree programs in Oceanography involve a core of four courses in physical, chemical, biological, and geological aspects of the marine system, and supplementary courses based on the student’s needs and interests. Fields of research include planktology, benthic ecology, fisheries oceanography, phycology, shore-zone sedimentary processes, biogeochemical cycling, marine optics and acoustics, and coastal physical oceanography. Methodological approaches in which we have special strength include in situ observing systems, numerical modeling and remote sensing. Many student theses focus on the Gulf of Maine, a region with diverse and challenging research opportunities, but also range world-wide. Entering students should hold an undergraduate degree in a basic science, should have had mathematics through calculus, and will benefit from at least one year of geology, chemistry, physics, and biology. A working knowledge of statistics is helpful. All students take core courses of SMS 501 - Biological Oceanography, SMS 520 - Chemical Oceanography, SMS 541 - Physical Oceanography and SMS 560 - Marine Geology. In addition, students in the doctoral program must complete six additional credits at the 500 level or higher in Oceanography and satisfy the credit requirements set by the Graduate School. Other requirements include registration for Oceanography Seminar and participation in an oceanic research cruise. Most course work is taken in Orono, especially during the student’s first year, whereas the thesis research may be carried out either at Orono or elsewhere such as the Darling Marine Center or the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (see Research Resources).