Peak summer in Maine is known for being short, sweet, and packed to the gills with activity! It’s no different here at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. Throughout the summer, we regularly open our doors to the public to introduce visitors to our science and the people who make it possible.
This month, in addition to an ongoing circuit of camps, undergraduate classes, and public tours, we welcomed guests from near and far for some of our biggest events of the year.
Inspiring Our Community
For many staff, the annual Open House is one of our favorite days of the year. We have the pleasure of sharing our work and its positive impact and seeing the lab full of curious learners of all ages. For community members and visitors to the region, the day of free activities provides hands-on exposure to ocean science and a behind-the-scenes look at the operations of our research lab.
This year, we welcomed almost 400 guests over the course of the day on July 10. Visitors got to enjoy accessible science talks, tour our research vessel, create seaweed art, sample off the dock with real oceanographic equipment, and more.
Touring the Global Ocean
On July 22, we kicked off our annual Café Sci series. These free science talks are a fun way to engage with ocean researchers and learn about groundbreaking science. This summer, the series is taking attendees on a tour of some of the more remote and underexplored parts of the marine environment. Senior Research Scientist Ben Twining kicked things off with a discussion about his recent expedition to Antarctica to better understand the sources and movements of micronutrients like iron that are essential to marine life.
The series continues on Wednesday evenings through August 12. Learn more and register at bigelow.org/cafesci. The lab will be open before each talk for a public tour. Email ehenerberry@bigelow.org to sign up.
Celebrating Our 250th Birthday
We were honored just last week to play host for the Lincoln County stop of a statewide tour of one of the first prints of the Declaration of Independence.
For two days, the Maine Historical Society arranged public viewings in our forum of one of just 26 surviving copies of the Dunlap broadside, printed in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.
Events kicked off the morning of Friday, July 24 with a commemorative ceremony, and then we welcomed a stream of visitors. It was a wonderful opportunity to share our great facilities with the community, meet some neighbors, and highlight our science for new visitors to the lab!
