Modern innovations like automobiles, air conditioning, and life-saving medicines improve our comfort. However, these conveniences can have downsides. Construction projects can disrupt wildlife habitats, and pollution from manufacturing and waste disposal harms the environment. Since 1850, global temperatures have risen by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit. This trend has current and future implications that scientists are just beginning to understand.
Morgan State University, a historically Black research university in Baltimore, manages two centers focused on applied Earth science. Both are off-campus and strategically located. The Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research (GESTAR) II program has been at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for over 20 years, supporting NASA’s Earth Sciences Division. GESTAR II scientists use NASA facilities and advanced instruments to analyze atmospheric and ocean conditions. Meanwhile, Morgan’s Patuxent Environmental & Aquatic Research Laboratory (PEARL), located on the shores of the Patuxent River in Saint Leonard, Maryland, has monitored the local environment for over 50 years.
NASA is well known for its space missions, but it also has a long history of studying Earth. In 2001, NASA launched a competition for the GEST cooperative agreement, which evolved into GESTAR II. The University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) leads the center, with Morgan as a major partner. “The goal is to bring research scientists and engineers to Goddard to collaborate with the civil servants there,” says Laughlin.

Most of the center’s approximately 150 scientists are affiliated with either UMBC or Morgan. Other partners like Arizona State, Colorado State, and Penn State are less involved on-site but send students to work on projects with GESTAR II scientists during the summer.
One focus of GESTAR II research is monitoring pollution and air quality. “Morgan scientists aim to close the data gap for urban air quality pollution based on satellite data,” Laughlin explains. The National Weather Service provides broad information, but conditions can vary widely within a state. GESTAR II researchers have created a system to transfer real-time data into a database that city officials can access. This allows them to make informed decisions and issue localized Code Red alerts when necessary.
Additionally, GESTAR II scientists contribute to NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission, which launched a satellite on February 8, 2024. This satellite will collect detailed data about ocean and atmospheric conditions, enhancing our understanding of ocean health and climate change. “The Earth is 70% water, so it’s a huge part of the picture,” says Laughlin.
While GESTAR II research keeps Morgan scientists busy, they also return to campus to teach and give lectures. Some have become staff at Goddard, while others have helped establish a new Climate Science Division at Morgan, which will soon offer a minor in Earth and space science. Morgan also provides paid remote internships for four undergraduate students during the school year, allowing them to work on-site at Goddard in the summer.
Researchers from GESTAR II and PEARL have many collaboration opportunities. “There’s enormous potential to link global work to local areas,” says Laughlin.

PEARL started as a field station run by the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and became part of Morgan in 2004. Its main research focus is oysters, fittingly reflected in its name. “Eastern oysters don’t produce pearls, but we’ll leave that aside,” jokes Scott Knoche, director of the center.
“Our mission is to conduct applied interdisciplinary work that benefits stakeholders, including resource managers and policymakers,” says Knoche. A flagship program focuses on shellfish aquaculture, helping Maryland’s oyster industry by developing a strain of oysters that can thrive in low salinity waters. Researchers are also exploring alternative aquaculture species like softshell clams.
While PEARL continues environmental monitoring, its researchers are shifting toward ecological modeling. With a new $500,000 grant from NOAA, they are developing a model for the Chesapeake Bay, analyzing how invasive blue catfish populations might change under various management scenarios. Other studies focus on emerging pollutants, such as microplastics.
A biogeochemist is beginning a program to monitor carbon in coastal marshes near oyster farms. PEARL also includes three social scientists in its Environmental & Natural Resources Economics section. “We understand the science side of big issues, but we need more insight on the social science side,” says Knoche. He highlights the importance of understanding how people can address climate challenges.
Though PEARL is 80 miles south of Baltimore, Knoche aims to strengthen connections with Morgan’s academic framework. The center is launching a new bachelor’s degree in coastal science and policy, one of only a few such programs nationally. PEARL researchers will hold both in-person and online sessions with students. Currently, about a dozen graduate students live on-site at PEARL while conducting thesis research in bioenvironmental science.
Outreach is also crucial for PEARL. Staff are collaborating with communities in south Baltimore to create a vision for coastal green space and are engaging K-12 students in research activities.
To enhance Earth science at Morgan, a new state-funded center has been established. “It’s super exciting. It’s called the Center for Urban and Coastal Climate Science Research,” says Knoche. With a budget of $3 million a year, this center will elevate Morgan’s Earth science efforts. PEARL will play a key role, receiving part of the funding to support its mission.
Together with GESTAR II and PEARL, this new center has the potential to establish Morgan as a premier location for Earth science research on a global scale.
0 Comments