The principal mission of the Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST) is to discover innovative solutions to questions and problems in marine systems and provide effective communication of these discoveries. By promoting multidisciplinary studies among research scientists, educators and extension specialists from the participating NC State University colleges, enhancing interaction with other educational institutions and agencies concerned with marine sciences and coastal natural resources, CMAST provides a focal point for citizen contact with NC State University’s marine science and extension faculty. By virtue of its location, CMAST is a nexus for partnerships with federal, state, county and private institutions with research and education capabilities centered in Morehead City, North Carolina and the surrounding area. The CMAST facility is a resource not only for NCSU faculty and students, but other scientists with interest in conducting research and training programs within North Carolina. There are over 35 marine science faculty from 17 departments at NC State University that are affiliated with CMAST. Some unique aspects of CMAST are: 1) the multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional research base, including various regional research groups (UNC-IMS, Carteret Community College, NC Division of Marine Fisheries, National Ocean Service, Duke University Marine Laboratory), 2) integrated research and outreach, fostered by the co-location of Carteret Community College faculty, NC Sea Grant marine extension specialists, Carteret County Cooperative Extension field faculty, and NCSU faculty in the CMAST facility, and 3) the unique coastal and near-ocean environment – the Croatan-Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine System - the largest lagoonal-type estuary and the second largest estuary in the U.S.