The construction of a new center for ocean education and innovation in East Boothbay, Maine, was announced by the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences on June 8, World Ocean Day.
The $30 million expansion to its existing lab space is designed to support expanded programing and solutions-focused science. It is being funded in part by an $8 million gift from the Harold Alfond Foundation.
"Research to understand the foundation of global ocean health will always be at the core of our work," said Deborah Bronk, president, and CEO of the Bigelow Laboratory. "I'm excited by the growing ways we're sharing what we learn and applying it to pressing societal problems."
She added, though, that the lab's staff has doubled since they moved into the current space in 2012, precipitating the need for the new 25,000-sq.-ft. addition. It also will provide the resources needed to expand the institute's education, collaboration and workforce development programs.
Teaching labs in the finished building will enable scientists to provide hands-on education to high school, undergraduate and graduate students. They also will be used for professional courses that bring people from around Maine and nationwide to learn advanced scientific techniques.
The laboratory's expansion is slated to be completed in spring 2025, according to Bigelow officials.
"Bigelow Laboratory is a place that keeps Maine on the cutting-edge of ocean science," said Greg Powell, chair of the Harold Alfond Foundation Board of Trustees. "We are excited to again invest in this internationally renowned institute, and see its discoveries and expertise continue to advance education and innovation in Maine."
Expansion to Create Collaborative Spaces for Scientists
Its architects, Harriman Associates of Auburn, Maine, have included a two-story forum within the Bigelow facility that will allow for a flexible gathering space to be used in education programs and for public events such as the laboratory's popular Café Sci talks, which draw more than 1,000 people each summer. The forum also will be used for scientific conferences and workshops that will help support the lab's role as a hub for thought leaders from around the world to meet and discuss the latest discoveries and applications.
Collaborative spaces for solutions-focused science will be another significant part of the new expansion. Bigelow Laboratory has been rapidly expanding its applied research on opportunities such as seaweed and shellfish aquaculture, carbon dioxide removal techniques and ocean forecasts powered by artificial intelligence. New laboratory space will allow for the growth of this work and the addition of four more research groups.
"What we're learning is vital to understanding our planet and how our society impacts it, but that alone is not enough," said Beth Orcutt, Bigelow's vice president for research. "The urgency of the global challenges we face makes it essential that we do all we can to help businesses, government leaders, and our society as a whole apply that knowledge as quickly and as effectively as possible."
In addition to the Harold Alfond Foundation's gift, the construction and future maintenance of the new center is being supported by $12 million in federal funding and more than $9 million from individual and institutional donors. Fundraising will continue for the next year to complete the resources needed for the center and the additional education, fundamental research, and solutions-focused initiatives it will enable.
Since 2020, Bigelow Laboratory has raised more than $61 million from a variety of partners and donors to support the initiatives set forth in its 2020 Strategic Plan, of which the new center is a critical component.
"We're incredibly grateful to our federal representatives, donors and all those who are helping to raise these vital funds," said Bill Burgess, chair of the board of trustees. "As the institute nears its 50th anniversary next year, this center for ocean education and innovation points to a bold vision for what Bigelow Laboratory will become during the next 50 years."
Bold and Innovative Ocean Science
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is an independent, nonprofit research institute. From the Arctic to the Antarctic, the lab's scientists use innovative approaches to study the foundation of global ocean health and unlock its potential to improve the future for all life on Earth.
Creative, cutting-edge science is the facility's hallmark. The Bigelow Laboratory has reimagined ocean research by fusing the best of scientific inquiry and entrepreneurial ingenuity. This bold and nimble approach has transformed the facility from a scrappy startup to a world-renowned hub of ocean discovery during the last 50 years.
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