Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL)
» Visit the MBL website
The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is an international center
devoted to improving the human condition through basic research and
education in biology, biomedicine, and environmental science. The
oldest private marine laboratory in the western hemisphere, MBL has a
year-round staff of more than 280 scientists and support staff working
in such fields as developmental biology and infertility, cell dynamics
and imaging, molecular biology and evolution, genomics and global
infectious diseases, behavioral ecology and scientific aquaculture, and
nutrient cycling and climate change.
Scientists at the Ecosystems Center study terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystems and issues such as resource management and global climate
change. Researchers at The Josephine Bay Paul Center in Comparative
Molecular Biology and Evolution explore the genetic relationships among
living organisms and identify human genes of biomedical importance.
Investigators in the state-of-the-art Marine Resources building study, maintain, and
cultivate aquatic organisms essential to modern biological, biomedical,
and ecological research. MBL also hosts the Boston University Marine
Program.
Each summer an additional 1400 scientists and advanced students from
around the world come to MBL to conduct research, collaborate across
scientific disciplines, and learn from one another. Many use the
diverse marine organisms found in local waters because their relatively
simple systems make them good models for exploring fundamental
biological processes common to all life forms, including humans.
It’s an exciting annual gathering, unrivaled in the world of biology.
To date, 49 Nobel Laureates have taught, taken courses, or conducted
research at MBL. More than 50 members of the National Academy of
Sciences are currently members of the MBL Corporation. In the words of
author/physician Lewis Thomas, “The MBL stands as the uniquely national
center for biology in the country.”
MBL’s outstanding educational program—six intensive summer
laboratory/lecture courses and a number of shorter techniques-oriented
courses offered throughout the year—is known throughout the life
sciences for kick-starting research careers. Recent additions include
the Semester in Environmental Sciences Program for undergraduates,
offered by the Ecosystems Center, and the Brown-MBL Graduate Program
for Biological and Environmental Sciences.
MBL also serves as a primary source of scientific information for the
Woods Hole community through the MBLWHOI Library, which holds more than
200,000 bound journals and books and provides access to 4,000
electronic journals and scientific databases. Together these resources
cover the biological literature of the last 300 years.
Contact Information
Main Phone: 508-548-3705
Associates: 508-289-7281
Communications Office: 508-289-7423
Robert W. Pierce Visitors Center
Gift Shop: 508-289-7230
Call for hours
7 MBL Street
Woods Hole, MA 02543
www.mbl.edu