The Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) is an off-campus research laboratory, teaching, outreach, and service unit of UNC Chapel Hill. IMS is located on the central North Carolina coast in Morehead City, North Carolina. IMS and the on-campus Department of Marine Sciences form the internationally recognized UNC-CH Marine Sciences Program. 4 The Institute’s mission is to serve the State and the Nation by conducting cutting-edge research, training young scientists, providing expertise to governmental agencies and industry, and promoting new knowledge to inform public policy. The Institute is strategically located on 6.33 acres of waterfront property on the central North Carolina coast. The unique environment, the Croatan-Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine System, is the second largest estuarine system in the U.S. and an ideal site to study the ecology, conservation and restoration of coastal marine resources and to develop and apply new technologies in research. IMS facilities include approximately 60,000 sqare feet of research space, a running sea water system that feeds both indoor and outdoor experimental facilities, outside experimental ponds, a small on-site dormitory (suitable for short stays), meeting rooms, maintenance and fabrication facilities, a small fleet of trucks and motor-powered boats ranging in length from 17-25 feet and a 48-foot vessel, the R.V. Capricorn.