Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is an independent, non-profit research institution whose mission is to investigate the microbial drivers of global ocean processes through research, education, and enterprise. What we are learning is essential to the conservation and responsible use of the ocean and the many valuable services it provides. We are increasing understanding of microscopic marine life, how they function and affect global processes, and how the ocean and life within it are responding to changing conditions.
From the Gulf of Maine to tropical reefs, and from pole to pole, our 18 Senior Research Scientists and their teams are yielding insights in every ocean basin on the planet. We were founded in 1974 as a collective of scientists with the intellectual freedom to pursue knowledge about the vital role and astounding potential of the ocean’s abundant microscopic life. Still true to that cooperative spirit, we are now among the preeminent marine research laboratories in the world. Climate change-related ocean research and educational programming for emerging environmental leaders represent significant pieces of our work.
Research at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is organized around three core themes of Blue Biotechnology, Ocean Biogeochemistry and Climate Change, and Ocean Health. The Laboratory's 64-acre, shorefront campus is located in East Boothbay, Maine, on the Damariscotta River estuary, and includes a modern 32-bed residence hall, dive facility and dock, and experimental greenhouse. In December 2012, the campus became the first LEED Platinum certified laboratory in Maine. Recognized as a leader in Maine’s emerging innovation economy, the Laboratory’s research, education, and technology transfer programs are contributing to significant economic growth.
