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Title
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Founding of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole
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Description
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The internationally-known Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole was first established through the efforts of Falmouth's Woman's Education Association and scientists and university professors across the country. The site was chosen because it was at the confluence of the ranges of southern, warm-water species and northern cold-water species, and was therefore an ideal location for studying marine life. From the outset its priorities were strictly scientific, valuing primarily the acquisition of knowledge and education and considering economic impact or conservationist efforts to be "secondary." The lab would grow dramatically over the subsequent decades and establish Woods Hole as a bastion for scientific research, with other famous organizations including the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution joining MBL by the early 20th century. The establishment of MBL is one of countless examples of how Falmouth's marine environment was crucial to its economy and identity, as well as a general trend in American environmental history of the natural environment at this time beginning to be seen as something to be studied and understood.
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Date
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March 20, 1888 – March 20, 1888
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Location - Physical Location
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7 Mbl Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543
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Name
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Dennis Moraga
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cites
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https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/epdf/10.1086/BBLv174n1Sp34
