Ahoy there!

We are Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, an independent, nonprofit research institute based in East Boothbay, Maine, that studies oceans around the world. If you’re reading this, you’ve likely seen our campus from the Damariscotta River. Or maybe you’ve encountered one of our vessels on the water.

One thing is for certain though, whether you passed us in a sailboat, a working vessel, or a runabout, we all have something in common — we love the ocean. From its beauty to its importance both in our lives and for our planet.

Our Research

Our work is supported by people like you. Around the globe, we study the vital ocean life that forms the foundation of ocean health and apply what we learn to improve the future for all life on our planet. Most of this life is microscopic, like the tiny plants and animals (plankton) that form the base of the food web, but some of it is large, like kelp and coral reefs.

Plankton may be small, but all ocean life depends on it — from the smallest lobster to the largest whale. Their influence doesn’t stop at the water’s edge either, as plankton also provide us with half of the oxygen we breathe.

The scope of our science spans from the Arctic to the Antarctic, and is applicable across the world, but much of what we do is relevant to the waters where you live, work, and recreate. Here are just a few ways that our research hits close to home:

Supporting Aquaculture and Fisheries

Our coastal communities and economies depend heavily on food from the ocean. We are working to better understand the diseases that affect our key species, like shellfish and lobster, and studying new and innovative aquaculture methods, like growing mussels alongside kelp to protect them from ocean acidification.

We also use cutting-edge genetic techniques to help mussel farmers find the young they need, to track what’s in our waters from great whites to whales, and to look for new commercially important species showing up in our warming waters.

Understanding Ecosystem Health

Thriving communities, economies, and ecosystems start with healthy water. We have been recording the health of the Gulf of Maine for about 25 years using satellite imagery, on-the-water measurements, and underwater drones. This invaluable data powers our understanding of how the ecosystem has changed, and what Maine communities need to do to adapt to where it’s headed.

We are experts at understanding harmful algal blooms that impact our fisheries and inland waters — in Maine and around the country. And our new PFAS testing facility provides critically needed data on the prevalence of these harmful pollutants and how they behave in our environment. We’re also developing new technologies to understand microplastic pollution — and searching for ways to remove them from wastewater.

Combating and Adapting to Environmental Change

We're working to dramatically reduce emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from cows by developing an algae-based feed additive that can address this global issue. And we’re researching ways to harness the ocean to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and lock it away.

We are developing tools to use the DNA marine life leaves behind to help understand and manage our ecosystem — from tracking the movement of right whales and great white sharks to preparing for new fisheries emerging along our rapidly warming coast.

Our Boats

We have two research vessels that you may see on the water: R/V Bowditch, a 48-foot catamaran, and R/V Clarice, a 26-foot boat. We use both vessels for scientific research as well as our educational programs, which engage students from Maine high schoolers to international professionals.

Both are available for charter. You can check out details, pricing, and availability for R/V Bowditch and R/V Clarice on our website.

Support

Bigelow Laboratory is a 501(c)(3) organization, and we rely on the generosity of our supporters to keep our laboratory at the leading edge of ocean science. To see what we’ve been up to recently, check out the latest news from our research around the world.

And if you’re willing to become part of the community that makes our work possible, please make a donation today and help support bold science for our blue planet.

Top Photo: Catherine Mitchell
Arctic Image: Daiki Nomura
Kelp Harvest: Courtesy of Atlantic Sea Farms and New England Ocean Cluster
Satellite Image: Courtesy of NASA
Lobster Larvae: Jesica Waller