It engages in a number of activities, such as publishing The Proceedings of the NSIS (or ‘PNSIS’)—a peer-reviewed scientific journal—and organizing an annual Student Science Writing Competition within Nova Scotia.
Honorary members of the NSIS include Arthur McDonald, Mary Ann White, and Jeffrey Dahn.
The PNSIS also sponsors free monthly lecture which are usually presented in-person at a Nova Scotian university and accessible on Zoom.
Further sponsorship has historically been given by the NSIS to scientific conferences and trade fairs in the Maritime provinces (e.g., the annual Sable Island Report, the Fishermen and Scientists Research Society, and the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership).
The NSIS also regularly organizes excursions for its members and guests, with past field trips including for example Joggins Fossil Cliffs, Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest, Purcell Cove Backlands, and Scatarie island.