The primary emphasis of the library's collection is in areas of marine science, supporting the undergraduate and graduate programs of the Department of Marine Science and the research programs of the Marine Science Institute. The library is a primary source for marine-related information in the state and in the Gulf of Mexico. The fields covered are marine relative to botany, chemistry, biochemistry, geochemistry, ecology, geology, microbiology, and toxicology, as well as aquaculture/mariculture, biological and physical oceanography, respiratory and reproductive physiology of marine animals, and the new fields of marine viruses and global change. Regional emphasis is on the Gulf of Mexico, particularly on its sea life and brackish ecosystems, and the Coastal Bend and its surface freshwater. The library has most Texas state publications relating to water resources and many other materials relating to fisheries and marine life. The Marine Science Institute actually began collecting library materials when it was established in 1947. The primary strength of the 30,000+ volume collection is its serial titles. Many titles, both foreign and domestic, are received through the library's gift and exchange program. For specific holdings see Library Catalog, the catalog of the University of Texas Libraries.

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