Themes
The scope of research at Bigelow Laboratory covers a broad spectrum of work, from study of the genetic structure of phytoplankton and other single-celled microbes to ocean ecosystems and global climate change. Our research is carried out in an environment of open, interdisciplinary collaboration within five major thematic areas. On the global scale, Climate Change and Ecosystems programs seek to advance our understanding of the relationship between the planet's vast biogeochemical cycles and the diversity of ocean habitats that support ocean life. Research in Microbiology and Phytoplankton investigates the genetic and biomolecular structure and function of the microbial life that drives photosynthesis and is responsible for the cycling of nutrients through the ocean's food web. Work in the area of Higher Organisms includes investigation of the physiological mechanisms by which individual organisms survive, larval transport between far-flung populations, and the interdependent linkages among species that sustain a diversity of ecosystems.