The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is a global leader in the study of ecosystems in the coastal zone, where land and water meet and where human populations and their impacts are most concentrated.

The Marine Invasions Research Lab at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) studies the invasion of Chesapeake Bay and other areas by nonindigenous species. Research projects include the Nonindigenous Species Database and the National Ballast Water Information Clearinghouse.