Founded in 1990, the mission of the Marine Environmental Research Institute (MERI) is to protect the health of the marine environment and people through scientific research and education. MERI’s current investigation of the impacts of pollutants on the health of Gulf of Maine seal populations has gained national and international recognition. In 1992, to complement its research and foster stewardship and conservation of ocean resources among children and adults, MERI initiated its innovative education and public outreach programs in Maine. Serving a constituency of over 140,000 people in the mid-coast region, including more than 1,400 elementary and secondary school aged students on the Blue Hill peninsula and Deer Isle, MERI fills a vital niche by providing marine science education and conservation leadership to underserved coastal communities that lack resources to confront complex issues they are facing.