Research at VIMS extends from inland watersheds to the open ocean with a primary emphasis on coastal and estuarine science. VIMS research is based in four academic departments:

and several major research units, including:

Information about the academic program in each department is available in the School of Marine Science Catalog.

Because complex environmental issues rarely parallel administrative divisions, VIMS emphasizes interdisciplinary research that brings perspectives from a variety of disciplines to the search for new knowledge and for solutions to issue-driven questions. Teams of scientists with diverse expertise work in areas such as plankton and nutrient dynamics, shoreline and wetlands processes, fisheries ecology and stock assessment, and aquaculture.

Grant and contract support for VIMS research comes from the Office of Sponsored Programs.