Woods Hole Live Cam

Cornelia Clapp was the first investigator to be given a research problem at the MBL during its inaugural summer. Her work on toadfish led to a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. Clapp was the MBL/s first librarian, one of the laboratory's first female trustees, and in instructor in the embryology course. In 1906 she was hailed as one of the 150 most important zoologists in America.

MBL scientists have also done seminal 20th century studies of how organisms interact with their environments and how environmental changes affect life in the earth's forests and fields, atmosphere, lakes, rivers, and oceans. In fact, the Ecosystems Center at the MBL has pioneered a method of extrapolating data from small sample areas and applying it to broader ecosystems that is now used by researchers around the world.

But while the MBL is one of the top tier research institutions in the country, it is also fundamentally different from other leading academic institutions. Almost as long as biology has been an experimental science, the laboratory in Woods Hole has been a gathering place where biologists come to work together, to collaborate across institutional and disciplinary lines, to open new lines of inquiry, and to train the men and women who will take up where they leave off.

Since its founding in 1888, the Marine Biological Laboratory has evolved from a summer research and educational institution to one whose research and educational activities involve a variety of seasons and users. Today the MBL continues to host investigators from scores of research institutions worldwide who come to th Laboratory during the summer months to do their research. The MBL also hosts an active year-round research program, which consists of investigators whose primary institutional affiliation is with the MBL, as well as organizations that lease space from the Laboratory (the largest of which is the Boston University Marine Program).

Researchers have gathered at the MBL every summer for over 100 years They continue to be drawn to Woods Hole and the Laboratory in large part because of the diverse and abundant marine life available in local waters that serve as excellent model systems for understanding basic biological processes. Every year scientists leave their home institutions for months at a time to lease laboratory space at the MBL to work in such fields as biochemistry, biophysics, cell biology, developmental biology, ecology, genetics, molecular biology, neurobiology, and physiology. During the summer of 1999, the MBL hosted approximately 900 investigators and course faculty from around the world (see p. 35 for a list of summer principal investigators and their research interests).

In recent years, the MBL's year round research program has grown to include groups working in a variety of fields. The MBL currently hosts approximately 50 year-round Ph.D.level investigators working in more than 20 laboratories and centers (a list of year-round research laboratories, programs, and centers begins on page 25). The MBL continues to develop and enhance new and existing year round scientific research centers and programs in multiple areas of biological research.

The MBL is also committed to serving the unique needs of a number of resident organizations. These group. include the Boston University Marine Program, which offers graduate and undergraduate training in the marine, biological, and environmental sciences.

The MBL and the nearby Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution offer several ongoing interinstitutional programs as well. They jointly operate the MBL/WHOI Library, share computer network capabilities, and have built collaborative research efforts in microbial ecology and molecular biology.

An extensive biological research program operates at the Marine Biological Laboratory year-round. MBL year-round researchers take full advantage of the unique nature of the Woods Hole scientific community and the facilities of the Laboratory to advance understanding in the biological sciences. Opportunities are available within established programsand centers at the MBL, or in individual laboratories. From time to time opportunities also exist for independently funded researchers to establish their own laboratories at the MBL. Individuals interested in joining the MBL's year-round research program should write directly to Director and Chief Executive Officer, Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1015.

The Marine Biological Laboratory rents summer laboratory space to investigators who wish to take advantage of the MBL's facilities, services, and exceptional research environment. Most summer laboratories are located in the Whitman building. Laboratory space may be shared by multiple investigators. The Office of Research Administration and Education will attempt to find laboratory areas and sharing arrangements that meet the needs of each applicant. Four-month rental fees are not prorated. However, the Office of Research Administration and Education will attempt to accommodate investigators who wish to rent space for less than four months by trying to match their needs with those of other applicants who may be interested in renting the same space, serially, at an appropriately reduced rate. This accommodation cannot be guaranteed. Investigators who have rented space for a four-month period may continue to rent space until October 31, at a monthly rate equal to 1/4 of the full summer fee.

The marine Biological Laboratory is the oldest private marine lab in It was established in 1888 as a nonprofit institution devoted to research and education in basic biology.

We invite you to explore the Pierce Visitors Center and learn more about the natural world around you. The Pierce Visitors Center is designed for all ages.

If you're visiting Woods Hole during the summer months, we hope you'll plan to take a tour of the Marine Biological Laboratory. Tours consist of a short video presentation about the history of the Laboratory, a visit to your Marine Resources Center, and a walking tour of our campus. Tours are free and offered weekday afternoons from mid-June to mid-September. Our tours are designed for adults and children over the age of 5 and last approximately 45 minutes. A limited number of school group tours may be arranged between October and May. Groups are limited to no more than 20 students per day.

There is little parking in the village of Woods Hole and it is limited to metered street parking. We encourage visitors to park a the Falmouth Mall or other Falmouth municipal parking lots and ride the WHOOSH trolley to woods Hole. The trolley runs regularly during the summer months and charges minimal fees.