The purpose of the Marine and Estuarine Science program (MESP) is to provide a coherent program of study in coastal marine and estuarine sciences at the M.S. level. This program focuses resources of existing Master's programs in Huxley College and the Department of Biology. It is a research-oriented program in the marine and estuarine sciences. Human impact on coastal marine and estuarine systems cannot be properly evaluated without a scientific understanding of their fundamental physical, chemical, and biological processes. The goal of the MESP is to produce specialists qualified to study fundamental features of these systems and the relationship between natural processes and perturbations from human activity. Graduates will be qualified for entry-level positions in the profession and will be competitive in pursuit of the doctorate.

The Shannon Point Marine Center, located in Anacortes, WA, is an important facility supporting this program. The on-site Sundquist Marine Laboratory houses teaching labs and research facilities including wet laboratories supported by a running seawater system and dry laboratories suited for analytical operations, and a fleet of research vessels well suited to sampling the local marine environment.