University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

Environmental Research and Higher Education Servicesumces.edu

UMCES is a public University System of Maryland research institution operating seven laboratories across the state to conduct environmental science research, graduate education, and Chesapeake Bay restoration, serving state and federal agencies, partner universities, K-12 students, and the public.

Company typePublic
Founded1925
HeadquartersCambridge, United States
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science does

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) is a public research institution and constituent center of the University System of Maryland, founded in 1925 and headquartered in Cambridge, Maryland. UMCES operates seven laboratory divisions spanning aquatic, estuarine, marine, terrestrial, and Appalachian ecosystems: Appalachian Laboratory (Frostburg), Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (Solomons), Horn Point Laboratory (Cambridge), Institute of Marine & Environmental Technology (Baltimore), Integration & Application Network (Annapolis), Maryland Sea Grant College, and the Chesapeake Global Collaboratory. The institution's primary activities are environmental science research with emphasis on Chesapeake Bay restoration, graduate-level education administered in partnership with University of Maryland College Park, Frostburg State University, and University of Maryland Baltimore, and public engagement through citizen science programs such as the Chesapeake DolphinWatch mobile app (20,000+ registered users since 2016).

UMCES's core technical infrastructure includes state-of-the-art research facilities and specialized analytical instrumentation through the Anthropogenic Changes in Estuarine Systems (ACES) Center, which operates Waters Xevo G3 Qtof and Xevo TQ Absolute mass spectrometry systems for detecting chemical contaminants including PFOS/PFOA, UV filters, septic/wastewater tracers, and tire compounds. The institution's outputs span peer-reviewed publications, long-term ecological datasets (notably the 20+ year blue crab stock assessment), K-12 curricular products (Wave of Plastic), and policy guidance delivered to state and federal agencies. UMCES holds Middle States Commission on Higher Education accreditation (achieved 2016, reaffirmed 2022).

UMCES's business model is that of a public state university research center: it is funded primarily through Maryland state appropriations, federal research grants (NOAA, NSF, US Fish and Wildlife Service), tuition administered through partner universities, and program-specific grants such as the ~$1.5 million Maryland Sea Grant federal award plus $900K in non-federal matching funds. The institution does not have private equity or venture capital ownership, does not publicly disclose revenue or pricing, and its "customers" are effectively institutional stakeholders—government agencies, partner universities, K-12 school systems, and citizen science participants—rather than commercial buyers.

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science firmographics

Firmographics

Name: University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Legal name: University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Website: https://umces.edu
Company type: Public
Founded year: 1925
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: UMCES is a public University System of Maryland research institution operating seven laboratories across the state to conduct environmental science research, graduate education, and Chesapeake Bay restoration, serving state and federal agencies, partner universities, K-12 students, and the public.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science industry classification

Industry

Product category: Environmental Research and Higher Education Services
NAICS: Aquaculture (11251), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11), Other Aquaculture (112519)
SIC: Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
akta.pro primary industry: Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)
akta.pro secondary industries: Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) Design & Regulatory Verification (AFALADAI), Aquaculture & Fisheries Operations (EDAOAOAK), Waste & Hazardous Materials Management (incl. HazMat) (BPAHAJAK)

Keywords

Environmental research
Graduate education
Marine science
Water quality monitoring
Coastal ecology

Where University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Cambridge
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science product offering

Product offering

Core offering

UMCES is a public environmental research institution that conducts interdisciplinary scientific research on aquatic, estuarine, marine, terrestrial, and socio-ecological systems, with a primary focus on Chesapeake Bay restoration. It delivers graduate education programs in Marine and Estuarine Environmental Sciences, operates the Chesapeake DolphinWatch citizen science platform, delivers K-12 environmental curricula such as Wave of Plastic, and provides shared research infrastructure and analytical services through units including the Chesapeake Global Collaboratory and the ACES Center for contaminant analysis.

Product overview

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is a research institution consisting of seven laboratory units (Appalachian Laboratory, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, Horn Point Laboratory, Institute of Marine & Environmental Technology, Integration & Application Network, Maryland Sea Grant, and University Administration). It offers graduate education programs in Marine and Estuarine Environmental Sciences, citizen science initiatives like Chesapeake DolphinWatch, educational curricula including Wave of Plastic, and research collaboration through the Chesapeake Global Collaboratory. The institution's core offerings center on environmental research, graduate training, and public engagement with science, with specialized analytical capabilities through the ACES Center for contaminant detection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Chesapeake DolphinWatch: A participatory science project and mobile app that allows community members to record sightings of dolphins in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, celebrating 10 years of operation in 2026.
Anthropogenic Changes in Estuarine Systems (ACES) Center
Wave of Plastic

Products and services

Graduate Programs in Marine and Estuarine Environmental Sciences (MEES)

Quantifiable outcome

Over 20,000 registered users and 11,000+ dolphin sightings collected through citizen science program
+1 more outcomes

Companies that use University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

Customer profile

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

Smithsonian Environmental Research CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in blue crab stock assessment contributing to Chesapeake Bay environmental research
Morgan State University Patuxent Environmental & Aquatic Research Laboratory (PEARL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in blue crab stock assessment research and oyster hatchery studies
Potomac River Fisheries CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in blue crab stock assessment for regional fisheries management
Maryland Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner in blue crab assessment, environmental research, and Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts
NOAA Marine Debris ProgrammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner for Wave of Plastic marine debris education program serving Maryland schools
NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner for environmental education programs including Wave of Plastic curriculum
Calvert County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Wave of Plastic middle school curriculum implementation
St. Mary's County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Wave of Plastic middle school curriculum implementation
Charles County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Wave of Plastic middle school curriculum implementation
University of Maryland Eastern ShorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in hard clam restoration studies and PFAS sediment research
Towson UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in tidal marsh restoration and saltmarsh sparrow habitat studies
Salisbury UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in sea level rise impacts on agricultural lands study
The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in sea level rise agricultural adaptation research
National Audubon SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in tidal marsh restoration research and bird habitat studies
US Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in saltmarsh sparrow habitat and runnel restoration research
Lund Migration Group (Lund University)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on aeroecology with world-renowned migration experts including Dr. Cecilia Nilsson
Maryland Department of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner in Chesapeake Global Collaboratory retreat and environmental initiatives
Maryland Department of Emergency ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner in Chesapeake Global Collaboratory environmental resilience initiatives
Maryland Environmental ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState environmental service partner in Chesapeake Global Collaboratory initiatives
Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-institutional center providing support for graduate students from underrepresented groups in marine science

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC): Federally affiliated environmental research center on the Chesapeake Bay conducting interdisciplinary studies of coastal ecosystems. Direct peer: shares Chesapeake Bay focus, federal/scientific orientation, and concurrent partnership with UMCES on blue crab stock assessments.
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS): William & Mary's coastal and estuarine research and graduate education institution. Highly comparable as a state-affiliated marine science center offering graduate degrees, conducting fisheries and coastal research, and supporting Chesapeake Bay management.

Emerging players

Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Largest nonprofit dedicated solely to Chesapeake Bay restoration. Comparable on mission and Bay stakeholder engagement, though focused on advocacy and education rather than primary research.
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University: University-affiliated natural history and environmental research institution with a long history of freshwater and estuarine research. Comparable on the research-plus-public-engagement model and on taxonomic expertise.

Broad incumbents

Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL): Historic marine and environmental research institution affiliated with the University of Chicago. Comparable as a long-established research-and-education ecosystem, with broader national/international scope than UMCES.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI): Largest private oceanographic research institution in the U.S. Comparable on marine and estuarine research scope and graduate training, though operating at significantly larger scale and broader geography.
NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research: Federal agency funding and conducting environmental and oceanographic research. Comparable as both a funder and a research performer for UMCES, and the dominant incumbent in the U.S. marine science ecosystem.

Others

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (already the subject — omit):

Peers

Stroud Water Research Center: Independent freshwater research center focused on watershed science, education, and restoration. Comparable as a research-and-education nonprofit with long-term datasets and policy influence, though oriented toward freshwater rather than estuarine systems.

Regional players

Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center: Coastal marine science research and education hub on the U.S. West Coast. Comparable as a multi-partner marine research and graduate-training center, but serving Pacific rather than Atlantic ecosystems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance5 records

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries8 records

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

What does University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science do?

Is University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science a public or private company?

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science founded?

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science was founded in 1925. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science based?

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.

Who are University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) and Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). Emerging players are Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Broad incumbents are Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (already the subject — omit) is listed as an others. Stroud Water Research Center is listed as a peer. Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center is listed as a regional player.

Does University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science have an API?

No public API is recorded for University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

What industry is University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science in?

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science's product category is Environmental Research and Higher Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAMAI, Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines), with a secondary code of AFALADAI, Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) Design & Regulatory Verification. Its NAICS code is 11251 and its SIC code is 8731.