The Department of Earth Sciences maintains a close association with several University research groups, including joint appointments of faculty members, course offerings and opportunities for student research at the advanced-undergraduate and graduate levels. Please follow the links to our affiliated research centers to learn more.
Center for Coastal & Ocean Mapping
The Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping (CCOM)/ Joint Hydrographic Center (JHC) is a recently established University of New Hampshire program aimed at creating a national center for expertise in ocean mapping and hydrographic sciences. Guided by a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the JHC operates in partnership with NOAA's National Ocean Service. The CCOM is a University center that expands the scope of interaction and cooperation with the private sector, other government agencies and universities. In addition to NOAA support, CCOM currently has projects underway funded by the US Geological Survey, the Office of Naval Research, the Naval Research Lab, DARPA, NSF and several private sector partners. The centers focus their activities on two major tasks, an educational task, aimed at creating a learning center that will promote and foster the education of a new generation of hydrographers and ocean mapping scientists, and a research task aimed at developing and evaluating a wide range of state-of-the-art hydrographic and ocean mapping technologies and applications.
The Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping (CCOM)/ Joint Hydrographic Center (JHC)
Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space
The interdisciplinary Earth, ocean, and space science research at the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space (EOS) places it in the forefront of academic centers offering opportunities for students to work alongside distinguished faculty in high-level research projects.
Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space (EOS)
Earth Systems Research Center
The Earth Systems Research Center is dedicated to understanding the Earth as an integrative system, through studies that cross traditional academic boundaries and reach all corners of the globe. Our scientists study Earth's ecosystems, atmosphere, water and ice using field measurements, remote sensing and mathematical models. Emphasis is placed on basic science and the increasing role of humans as agents of environmental change. An emerging focus is on sustainability science which employs a systems-based approach to studying coupled human-natural systems. Our faculty and graduate students work jointly with the department of Natural Resources and the Environment, the department of Earth Sciences, and the Natural Resources and Earth System Science (NRESS) Ph.D. program.
The Earth Systems Research Center
Ocean Process Analysis Laboratory
The Ocean Process Analysis Laboratory (Opal) conducts basic and applied research on marine ecosystems ranging from the near-shore western Gulf of Maine to the global ocean. Utilizing direct measurements, remote sensing, and modeling, the research spans physical and biological disciplines "from photons to fish" and includes optical physics, air-sea gas exchange, nutrient dynamics, plankton ecology, fisheries ecology and fishing gear technology as well as ocean policy. This Lab is located at the University of New Hampshire within the Institute for the Study or Earth, Oceans, and Space, and its faculty and graduate students are affiliated with the Departments of Earth Sciences, Natural Resources, and Zoology.
The Ocean Process Analysis Laboratory (Opal)
Jackson Estuarine Laboratory
The University of New Hampshire's Jackson Estuarine Laboratory (JEL) is located five miles from the Durham campus on the shores of Great Bay Estuary at Adams Point (see Directions, Facilities). Resident Faculty members conduct Research that covers a wide range of fields and is supported by a variety of private, state and federal agencies. Students, post-doctoral fellows and visiting scientists are also active in JEL research. The laboratory provides diverse Education opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to learn research and analytical skills, and also hosts seminars, lectures and field trips for UNH classes.
