Who We Are
The Baruch Institute is part of the USC College of Arts and Sciences and the College's School of Earth, Ocean, and Environment. Our headquarters and primary facilities (the Baruch Marine Field Laboratory) can be found on Hobcaw Barony, a privately owned research reserve located on the coast near Georgetown, South Carolina.
In addition, we host two state-federal partnership programs:
The North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NIWB NERR) was established in 1992 as a partnership between National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of South Carolina’s Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences. It is one of 30Estuarine Research Reserves around the coastal United States dedicated to conservation, research, education and stewardship in America’s estuaries.
The Centralized Data Management Office (CDMO) supports the NERRS System-Wide Monitoring Program across all Reserves through data and information management as well as technical support and training. The CDMO hosts and maintains public online access to SWMP data collected by all 30+ Reserves.
What We Do
While advancing basic scientific research in marine and coastal sciences, we provide educational opportunities through hands-on research experiences for university students and educational programs for secondary school students and other visitors.
Our focus is on estuarine and coastal sciences and is inclusive of biological, geological, chemical, physical, and hydrological processes, and the influences, interactions, and synergies among these. The overarching themes are coastal systems, global change, and food webs.
North Inlet Estuary—our primary research site—is an environmentally unique location that offers incredible research opportunities. Because of its essentially pristine habitat and water qualities, it serves as a sentinel site for climate change and provides an increasingly rare opportunity for scientists to assess impacts associated with human activities. To learn even more, visit North Inlet - Winyah Bay NERR.
Educational programs are offered for K-12 students and teachers, undergraduates and faculty, and the general public. We also provide undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to pursue their research interests through internships and research fellowships. See Plan a Visit for more information about educational visits and programs.
Our History
Upon her death in 1964, Belle W. Baruch, the last private owner of Hobcaw Barony, created a not-for-profit foundation to ensure the land was used in perpetuity for the "purposes of teaching and/or research in forestry, marine biology, and the care and propagation of wildlife, flora and fauna in connection with colleges and/or universities in the state of South Carolina."
The Belle W. Baruch Foundation selected the University of South Carolina as a partner in fulfilling Belle's mandate, and in 1969, through the joint action of the University and the Foundation, the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences was established, one of three permanent research institutes on the property.