The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) leads the nation in research on the linkages between land and water ecosystems in the coastal zone and provides society with the knowledge to meet the most critical environmental challenges of the 21st century. SERC is a research center of the Smithsonian Institution, located on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay, approximately 10 miles south of Annapolis, 40 miles west of Washington D.C., and 40 miles south of Baltimore. The 2,650 acre SERC campus contains a laboratory and office complex, as well as educational and waterfront facilities.