A silhouette of a scuba diver swimming through deep blue water while holding a large professional underwater camera system. The dark hull of a boat is visible on the water's surface directly above the diver.

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At IMET's state-of-the-art research facility in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, our scientists take innovative approaches to protect and restore coastal marine systems and their watersheds and to develop approaches for the sustainable use of resources that provide benefits to society and human health. Our methods apply advanced tools of biotechnology and molecular biology to the study of marine organisms and processes, with a strong emphasis on research excellence, education, public outreach, and economic development. IMET serves as a world leader in marine and environmental biotechnology, and its scientific contributions help to meet the economic, environmental sustainability, and health goals of both the state and nation.

Four-panel SEM micrograph display of various microfossils or planktonic organisms, likely dinoflagellates or radiolarians. The images reveal detailed surface textures, pores, and complex geometric shapes including spines and chalice-like structures.

Molecular Geneticist Helps Map Evolution of Dinoflagellates

A group scientists have used new genetic sequencing data to understand how an ancient organism that lived alongside the dinosaurs has evolved over millions of years. A four-year effort by a genetic research team from a dozen universities has uncovered for the first time the biology and evolution of dinoflagellates, tiny but complex organisms primarily known as marine plankton.

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Human Health
algae cultures in petri dishes

Inside a Carbon Capture System, Two New Lifeforms are Discovered

While growing microalgae in tanks fed by industrial flue gas – a way to pull CO2 from the air – the team found two entirely new bacterial species, now named Phycocordibacter aenigmaticus and Minusculum obligatum, from a barely-explored branch of life scientists call microbial dark matter. What makes these new species remarkable is that they lack the metabolic machinery to produce their own energy or proteins, and therefore rely entirely on other species for these essential elements. Yet, despite those limits, they dominated the tanks – over 95% of the bacteria in some samples. Finding so many in the tanks raises questions about whether they help or hinder the community’s ability to utilize CO2 from flue gases. 

Sustainability