Partnering with national and international Universities and regional Institutions, UCME conducts and supports progressive research to further our understanding of marine and island ecosystems and the biodiversity they support.

UCME also offers an exciting volunteer programme where participants work side by side with researchers and conservation specialists assisting in a range of projects investigating the dynamics of coral reefs and reef fisheries, monitoring the population and behaviour of whale sharks and cetaceans and assessing mangrove, seagrass and other tropical island habitats.

Results from UCME research are easily accessible by local organisations, community groups and government agencies to help highlight conservation priorities, identify management requirements and target stakeholder lead initiatives. In so doing, academic science can be understood and used by the people who rely on the integrity of the fragile environment in which they live.