As the environmental factors of pollution, land and resource use, invasive species, climate change, and extreme events increase, coastal ecosystems are endangered. IMSG scientists specializing in agriculture, aquaculture, resource management, and ecosystems provide the research and technology that institutions require in order to protect coastal wetlands, sea grasses, and coral reefs.

IMSG staff work with coastal resource managers to facilitate eutrophication (excess nutrient loading) forecasting, harmful algal blooms (HAB) bulletins, and climatology analysis. Our research is used throughout a broad variety of ecosystems, such as estuaries, coral reefs, mud flats, marshes, rocky, gravel, and sandy shores, as well as mangrove forests. We study these ecosystems, in addition to performing habitat mapping and restoration activities.