Located on a former farm, the Schiller Coastal Studies Center (SCSC) at Bowdoin College includes 2.5 miles of rocky shoreline and 118 acres of coastal spruce-pine forest and fields. Our access to the Gulf of Maine, diversity of natural habitats, and well-equipped science and residential facilities open up a wide range of marine, estuarine, and terrestrial research and teaching possibilities.

The Schiller Center enables high-level field- and laboratory-based interdisciplinary study related to critical issues of coastal and climate concern. With its accessible oceanside location and modernized facilities, the Center is foundational to Bowdoin's expanding role as a leader in environmental studies.

The SCSC’s goals are grounded in our core identity as a marine research facility and the belief that, through interdisciplinary and disciplinary inquiry, our community of researchers and educators can help ask and answer the questions that will help us support thriving coastal environments, communities, and economies. As we continue to evolve as a center, mirroring the change we see every day here on the shores of Casco Bay, we aspire to ensure that the SCSC: 

  • provides all Bowdoin students with a meaningful SCSC experience before they graduate;
  • welcomes new voices and engages current voices to join us in our research and education programs;
  • develops a broad portfolio of interdisciplinary and disciplinary research that addresses issues of sustainability and climate change in coastal environments;
  • builds a local, regional, and international reputation as a convener of conversations about the impacts of climate change on coastal communities and environments; and
  • creates a deep sense of belonging that inspires stewardship for the health of our place and planet.