The Shaw Institute (formerly Marine & Environmental Research Institute) is a nonprofit scientific research organization based in Blue Hill, Maine. Its mission is to discover and expose environmental health threats through innovative science and engage in strategic partnerships to improve human and ecological health. Over three decades, the Institute’s pioneering research on ocean pollution, sentinel species, flame retardants, plastics, and climate change has fueled public policy nationally and internationally.

Founded in 1990 by Dr. Susan Shaw, an environmental health scientist, marine toxicologist, explorer, and author, the Shaw Institute was established during a study that first revealed widespread contamination of fish and marine mammals in the northwest Atlantic Ocean by flame retardant chemicals leaching from furniture. Today, the foundation of the Institute’s work remains rigorous and independent scientific research, conducted in collaboration with scientists and institutions from across the country and around the world. Together, we have produced a wealth of data on chemical exposure and its impact on wildlife and people. 

The Institute’s focus areas include:
Human Exposure
Plastics & Microplastics
Marine Wildlife Exposure
Oil Spill Response
Maine Coastal Monitoring

Shaw Institute

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