Coastal Marine Laboratory (CML)
CML Web Site
The Coastal Marine Laboratory (CML) was established in 1989 to provide UNH faculty and students with access to the open waters of the Gulf of Maine and laboratory facilities with full strength seawater capabilities. Located at historic Fort Constitution in New Castle, N.H., at the mouth of Portsmouth Harbor, the CML supports faculty members and graduate and undergraduate students involved in numerous research projects, including the aquaculture of codfish, halibut, haddock and winter flounder; the physiological ecology and population biology of lobsters; the feeding behavior, growth, and roe quality of green sea urchins; and sea star reproductive biology; as well as a number of other studies on anemones, dog whelks, nudibranchs, and other invertebrates. Results of these research projects help New England's resource managers make sound decisions.
In addition to the laboratory, CML houses a complete dive locker and is home to the R/V First Light, and the R/V Rock ‘n Roll that provide primary support for the Open Ocean Aquaculture Demonstration Project. The Coastal Marine Laboratory is directed by Dr. Hunt Howell and overseen by Noel Carlson, the Lab Manager. For more information on CML, please contact Hunt or Noel.
Construction has begun on a replacement pier at this location. The replacement pier will provide essential berth space for the small fleet of UNH vessels, and access to the seawater environment, both of which are critical for the university’s world-class, $35 million-per-year marine research activity. Information on the current status of this capital project can be found at the Marine Research Facility Construction web site.