To better understand the processes underlying the health of coastal wetlands, Mount Allison University has established an institute comprised of a facility and personnel for the study of coastal wetlands at the biological, chemical and physical levels. The facility includes a state-of-the-art controlled-environment glasshouse for the culturing and study of marsh organisms and the study of wetlands sediment dynamics, and laboratories for environmental research. The present membership of the Institute includes 10 permanent faculty members and a growing number of associates. The Institute's mandate is to promote and conduct research and educational outreach on scientific, social, and economic aspects of coastal wetland environments. Our emphasis is on enhancing fundamental understanding of the coastal wetland environments of eastern Canada.