The Marine Science Insitute (MSI) in Port Aransas is a prime location for research on the Texas Coast. Adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico and local bay systems.
The MSI is the oldest and most significant marine research facility on the Texas coast. They are changing our understanding of the world's oceans and coasts and educating a global population dependent on the ocean ecosystem. What began humbly in 1941 as a small, rough-lumber shack on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico in Port Aransas is now home to cutting-edge research, education, and outreach programs.
Our Mission
As an organized research unit, the primary goal of the Marine Science Institute is to improve understanding of the marine environment through rigorous scientific investigations - critical ecosystems for the health and future of humanity and the earth. The MSI is dedicated to understanding and sharing this knowledge of the world's oceans and coasts, in addition to the three central functions of a major university: research, education, and outreach, as they apply to the Texas coastal zone and other marine environments.
These goals are accomplished through the research efforts of the scientific staff, the training of young scientists, and involvement of citizen scientists.
Just a few highlights include…
- Management of the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, a federal-state partnership that connects research, education and stewardship to communities. At 186,189 acres, it is the largest in the nation.
- Science and the Sea. a radio program heard on 341 affiliates in 49 states, as well as numerous countries across the world.
- Leading Texas in mapping of seagrass. Over 95% of the seagrass on our coast has been characterized.
- Amos Rehabilitation Keep rescues and rehabilitates thousands of animals annually.