The University of Maine at Machias (UMaine Machias) is uniquely located at the headwaters of the Machias River estuary on the Down East coast of Maine. Far from the bright lights of the city, Machias is an ideal location for the naturalist. On the shore of the spectacular Gulf of Maine and the nearby Bay of Fundy, the ocean will be your classroom. We are minutes away from rocky shores, mudflats, salt marshes and sand beaches.
In addition to our own aquaculture laboratory, where students can do individual and class projects with tropical and cold water organisms, we are only a short drive from state-of-the-art mariculture facilities for finfish and shellfish. Our geographic information systems lab allows you to gain skills at mapping and track biological phenomena that are of research interest. Whether you pursue a career in marine education, fisheries science, aquaculture, or decide to continue your studies for a graduate degree, we will help prepare you for a lifetime in marine sciences.
Marine biology students may choose concentrations in:
- Aquaculture
- Coastal conservation
- Marine ecology
Why UMaine Machias?
- Students conduct research, have internship opportunities, and can complete a “semester by the sea” at the Downeast Institute, UMaine Machias‘s marine science field station on Great Wass Island. A number of UMaine Machias alums have been employed by the institute after graduating.
- Through a partnership with Allied Whale, UMaine Machias students have the opportunity to respond to calls for stranded marine animals.
- Students learn the anatomy of marine species through hands-on skeletal reconstruction projects
