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
Provincetown Film Society & CCS team up for second annual Planet Ptown Environmental Film Series
Provincetown Film Society & Center for Coastal Studies team up for second annual Planet Ptown Environmental Film Series featuring INUNDATION DISTRICT, IN THE WHALE and RESCUING OUR OCEANS THROUGH RECYCLED ART. The Provincetown Film Society and the Center for...
First North Atlantic right whale mother and calf of season observed near Cape Cod Bay
Aerial observers from the Center for Coastal Studies spotted a North Atlantic right whale mother with her calf just north of Marshfield yesterday. This is the first such sighting of a right whale calf in Massachusetts waters in the 2024 season. The right whale mother...
Art Installation to Take Coastal Perspective
An art installation that celebrates and examines coastal life and coastal issues opens at the Crown and Anchor’s Paramount Room in Provincetown on April 3. The exhibit, “Replenishing Refuge in Cape Cod Bay and Stellwagen Bank – What Can the Arts Do?” was created and...
A Celebration of Stormy!
On Friday, May 10th, we celebrated the retirement of Charles “Stormy” Mayo, Ph.D. at a party at Provincetown Town Hall! Thank you to everyone who contributed to this special evening, and to the Charles G. Wright Endowment for Humanity for sponsoring the event. Please enjoy photographs of the event captured and generously provided by photographers Michael and Suz Karchmer.
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