College of Marine Science

The College's specialized laboratories include those for trace metal analysis, water quality, organic and isotope geochemistry, physical chemistry, optical oceanography, satellite imagery, sedimentology, geophysics, physical oceanography, micropaleontology, physiology, benthic ecology, microbiology, planktology, and ichthyology. It is often the case that a student's research is primarily conducted at sea. Bayboro Harbor can accommodate any ship in the fleet of the U.S. oceanographic vessels, and is home port to the principal vessels operated by the Florida Institute of Oceanography for the entire State University System. Marine science students frequently participate in Gulf of Mexico cruises on either of two FIO vessels, the R/V Suncoaster (110ft) and the R/V Bellows (71ft). Ship time on other vessels in the U.S. fleet of oceanographic vessels, as well as foreign research vessels, is generally obtained through federal funding.