The environmental sciences curriculum at College of the Atlantic brings together the biological and the physical sciences in exploration of the earth's systems. Students learn to apply the scientific method to trace ecological and evolutionary patterns, study natural communities as ecological systems, and understand the interactions of people and nature. At the same time, the college's interdisciplinary approach to the sciences enables students to apply historical, aesthetic, economic and literary modes of thought to enhance the scientific method.

The college's location, adjacent to the Gulf of Maine and Acadia National Park, provides a rich setting for field research and students often begin fieldwork in their first term. The college's facilities also include two island research stations and an organic farm.