EAST BOOTHBAY — After a short break in 2024, Bigelow Laboratory’s annual Open House is returning. Visitors of all ages are invited to visit the institute’s East Boothbay campus on Friday, July 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., to meet researchers and engage in a day of fun science activities.

"The staff is especially excited to welcome people this year to explore the brand-new Harold Alfond Center for Ocean Education and Innovation, which opened this spring and represents a 40% increase in Bigelow Laboratory’s footprint," said Bigelow, in a news release. 

This free event is open to the public and made possible through sponsorship by Knickerbocker Group. Details on the event and a schedule are available at bigelow.org/openhouse. If possible, attendees are encouraged to let us know ahead of time through that page if they plan to join. 

The open house is an opportunity for Bigelow Laboratory scientists to share what they’re learning around the world at the state-of-the-art facility in East Boothbay. The staff will lead a range of scientific demonstrations and activities for visitors of all ages, such as creating seaweed art, viewing live plankton under a microscope, and sampling water with real oceanographic equipment off the dock. 

The event provides community supporters and visitors a chance to learn first-hand about the importance and joy of ocean science. This year, visitors will also have the opportunity to explore the new Harold Alfond Center, a significant expansion to the Bigelow Laboratory campus that includes state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, dedicated teaching labs and classrooms, and a 300-seat forum that will become a hub for community outreach and scientific collaboration. 

Throughout the day, staff will also be giving brief, accessible science talks to introduce the public to ongoing research. As in past years, attendees can meet Henry and Grampus, two autonomous underwater gliders used to study the Gulf of Maine, and they can explore the collection — one of the world’s largest and most diverse — of marine phytoplankton. Other talks will look at what scientists are learning from environmental DNA, how they’re addressing water quality challenges in the Boothbay region, and how they study and manage the infectious diseases impacting marine life. 

"Sharing the vital work happening at Bigelow Laboratory is more important than ever given the unprecedented uncertainty the scientific community is facing," said Bigelow.

To that end, President and CEO Deborah Bronk will give a brief presentation at noon highlighting the value of scientific discovery and celebrating the exciting advances that the Harold Alfond Center will enable going forward. 

“We had to skip the event last year because of construction, but our annual open house is one of my favorite days of the year, and I love to see our lab filled with people of all ages getting inspired by ocean science,” said Bronk. “Our Harold Alfond Center for Ocean and Education is a launchpad for innovation and a new home for learning, so I'm thrilled to be able to share it with our community this year!”

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is an independent, nonprofit research institute located in East Boothbay, Maine. From the Arctic to the Antarctic, Bigelow Laboratory scientists use innovative approaches to study the foundation of global ocean health and unlock its potential to improve the future for all life on the planet. Learn more at bigelow.org, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.