The Aquatic Systems Group at the University of Southern Maine was established to enhance interdisciplinary studies, educational opportunities and public outreach and service related to aquatic environments. Our goals are to increase knowledge of how aquatic systems function and how to manage human activities in ways that sustain those functions. Aquatic systems include lakes, rivers, pools, groundwater, marshes, estuaries and the oceans. While we stress the importance and interconnectedness of all these systems, research activities vary over time based on faculty expertise and grants.