CIMAS Overview

What is CIMAS?

Since its founding in 1977, the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), based at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School, has brought together research and educational resources to increase scientific understanding of Earth’s oceans and atmosphere within the context of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) mission.

NOAA and University of Miami Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Studies

CIMAS unites the research resources of 10 academic partner universities — University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science (UM/Rosenstiel), Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Florida International University (FIU), Florida State University (FSU), Nova Southeastern University (NOVA), Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech), University of Puerto Rico (UPRM), University of Florida (UF), University of South Florida (USF) and University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) — with those of NOAA relevant to understanding the Earth’s oceans and atmosphere within the context of NOAA’s mission. CIMAS science encompasses four research themes, reflecting the diversity of research conducted throughout NOAA.

The federally supported institute provides research, education, training, and outreach aligned with its mission and promotes the involvement of students and postdoctoral scientists in NOAA-funded research. CIMAS researchers work closely with two NOAA laboratories located across the street from the Rosenstiel School—the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), and the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC), as well as the National Hurricane Center (NHC) located in West Miami. 

Our location is key to addressing these research themes—we are physically located at the crossroads of tropical meteorology and unique climate-related oceanographic processes, and adjacent to the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States.

CIMAS is one of 16 joint institutes associated with NOAA responsible for carrying out much of the basic research in NOAA. CIMAS addresses issues of national interest within the context of NOAA’s missions of environmental prediction and stewardship.

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