research
Our research is collaborative, interdisciplinary, and focused on finding sustainable solutions to the important issues facing our coastal communities and marine ecosystems.
rescue
The Marine Animal Entanglement Response (MAER) program is an emergency, field-based conservation effort with staff on call 24/7 to rescue and document whales and sea turtles entangled in fishing gear.
education
CCS promotes stewardship, raises awareness, and increases understanding of marine and coastal environments through a wide variety of audiences through curriculum-based classroom lessons, experiences in the field, and public outreach events.
Recent News
Dr. Jooke Robbins co-authors new study on whale populations & climate change
Dr. Jooke Robbins, Director of the Center's Humpback Whale Studies Program, is co-author of a new study published today in the journal PLOS ONE, "Vulnerability to climate change of United States marine mammal stocks in the western North Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and...
CCS IN THE NEWS: Ghost Gear Report on PBS News Hour
PBS News Hour interviewed Laura Ludwig, the Center's Manager of Marine Debris & Plastics Program, in their Sept. 19th report, "'Ghost gear' piles up in the Gulf of Maine amid plastic onslaught on oceans."
Center Studies White Shark Behavior in Shallow Water
As the summer draws to a close, Seascape Ecologist Bryan Legare, Manager of the Center’s Shark Ecology Research Program, has been busy collecting the 60 acoustic receivers used to track the whereabouts of white sharks near the beaches of Cape Cod. These acoustic...
Homeport by the Bay
Please join us on Tuesday, October 3 for our annual fall fundraising Gala at the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club on beautiful Pleasant Bay in Harwich!
CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION AND TICKETS
CCS is grateful to Mark Adams for the use of his painting, “Acts of Mercy.”
Upcoming Events
Get Involved
The Center for Coastal Studies is an independent, non-profit, member supported organization whose mission is to understand and protect our coastal communities and marine ecosystems. The ocean and its spectacular diversity belong to all of us. You can support our critical work by becoming a member, volunteering your time, making a donation, or shopping our store.

become a member
As a new or renewing member of the Center for Coastal Studies, you are making an active contribution to the study and conservation of the Gulf of Maine, home to the great whales of the North Atlantic and the many other fantastic varieties of wildlife for which it serves as a primary habitat.
meet our supporters
The Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET) is a grant program whose mission is to support projects that enable innovative approaches to protect and restore natural resources. The Center for Coastal Studies Humpback Whale Studies, Right Whale Ecology, Marine Animal Entanglement Response, and Water Quality Monitoring programs all receive funding via the MET’s Environmental License Plate program. Visit their website for more information.
Global Seas Sponsors
Atlantic Ocean Sponsors