Major advances in marine ecology will require that a broad suite of research tools and scientific perspectives be brought to bear on the problems at hand. This is not an easy task. Science is progressing so rapidly that individuals trained in one field are often unaware of pertinent advances in other fields, much less capable of employing these tools.

The Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) is built around a group of established scientists who represent an unusual breadth of approaches to marine ecology. By promoting close collaboration among specialists in oceanography, ecology, molecular biology, physiology, and genetics, PISCO is able to make new advances toward understanding complex coastal ecosystems.

PISCO also actively links its scientific research with student training and public policy and outreach. PISCO scientists interact frequently with resource managers, policy makers, non-governmental organizations, and the public, as well as scientists at other universities and government agencies.