A number of faculty at ECU hold joint appointments in both the Department of Biology and the Institute for Coastal and Marine Resources (ICMR). Usually, these faculty members teach and advise students in the department, but conduct their research in the institute.

ICMR is concerned with identifying and solving problems related to the human and natural resources located in the coastal/marine environment of North Carolina. Most of the institute's research is centered in shallow water and estuarine locations. Research interests include estuarine ecology, hydrography, coastal geomorphology, marine geology, marine biology, resources planning and management, and water-oriented recreation.

Many biology students minor in Coastal and Marine Studies.  This program devotes considerable attention to the sociology and economics of coastal communities, marine policy issues, and America's involvement with the oceans.