Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, founded in 1974, is an independent,
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
oceanography research institute. The Laboratory's research ranges from
microbial oceanography to the large-scale
biogeochemical
Biogeochemistry is the scientific discipline that involves the study of the chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes and reactions that govern the composition of the natural environment (including the biosphere, the cryosphere, th ...
processes that drive ocean ecosystems and health of the entire planet.
The institute's
LEED Platinum laboratory is located on its research and education campus in
East Boothbay, Maine. Bigelow Laboratory supports the work of about 100 scientists and staff. The majority of the institute's funding comes from federal and state grants and contracts,
philanthropic
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
support, and licenses and contracts with the private sector.
History
The Laboratory was established by
Charles and
Clarice Yentsch in 1974 as a private, non-profit research institution named for the
oceanographer
Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamic ...
Henry Bryant Bigelow
Henry Bryant Bigelow (October 3, 1879 – December 11, 1967) was an American oceanographer and marine biologist.
He is the grandson of Henry Bryant who was an American physician and naturalist.
After graduating from Harvard in 1901, he beg ...
, founding director of the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI, acronym pronounced ) is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of marine science and engineering.
Established in 1930 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, it ...
. Bigelow's extensive investigations in the early part of the twentieth century are recognized as the foundation of modern oceanography. His multi-year expeditions in the
Gulf of Maine
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, caption_bathymetry = Major features of the Gulf of Maine
, location = Northeast coast of the ...
, where he collected water samples and data on
phytoplankton, fish populations, and
hydrography
Hydrography is the branch of applied sciences which deals with the measurement and description of the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and rivers, as well as with the prediction of their change over time, for the primar ...
, established a new
paradigm of intensive,
ecologically
Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their biophysical environment, physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community (ecology), community, ecosy ...
-based oceanographic research in the United States and made this region one of the most thoroughly studied bodies of water, for its size, in the world.
Since its founding, the Laboratory has attracted federal grants for research projects by winning competitive, peer reviewed awards from all of the principal federal research granting agencies. The Laboratory's total operating revenue (including philanthropy) has grown to more than $10 million dollars a year.
Federal research grants have supported most of the Laboratory's research operations. Education and outreach programs rely on other sources of support, primarily contributions from individuals and private philanthropic foundations.
In February 2018,
Deborah Bronk became the president and CEO of Bigelow Laboratory. Prior to joining the Laboratory, Bronk was the Moses D. Nunnally Distinguished Professor of Marine Sciences and department chair at
Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences. She previously served as division director for the
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National ...
's Division of Ocean Science and as president of the
Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography
The Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), formerly known as the Limnological Society of America and the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, is a scientific society established in 1936 with the goal of advan ...
.
Research
The Laboratory's research efforts are grouped into three primary focus areas: ocean health and function, climate change, and potential applications of the ocean's resources.
Education programs
The Laboratory's education activities include high school, undergraduate,
postdoctoral
A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). The ultimate goal of a postdoctoral research position is to pu ...
, and professional training programs. The Laboratory also hosts public events and programs, such as its popular Café Sci series of talks for nonscientists.
At the high school level, Bigelow Laboratory offers the annual Keller BLOOM (Bigelow Laboratory Orders Of Magnitude) program for Maine high school juniors, as well as the BLOOM Educators program to help Maine teachers to bring ocean science into their classrooms. The week-long BLOOM programs offer participants the opportunity to work alongside professional researchers and explore ocean science through field and laboratory work.
At the undergraduate level, Bigelow Laboratory offers Sea Change, a semester-in-residence program for undergraduate students at its campus. Students live in the Laboratory's award-winning residence hall, take classes from Bigelow Laboratory scientists, and gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge research in the lab and in the field.
The Laboratory annually hosts a 10-week internship program as part of the
NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. Each summer, more than 30 students from across the country travel to East Boothbay to conduct original research under the mentorship of Bigelow Laboratory scientists.
References
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Research institutes in Maine
Oceanographic organizations