FSML: Renovation for Year-Round Use and Expansion of MDIBL's Dining Hall

Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Bar Harbor ME

Investigators

Abstract

This award provides support to the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL) for expansion and winterization of its dining hall. MDIBL provides access for visiting investigators to use marine species for the purpose of investigating mechanisms of basic biological processes such as osmoregulation, cell division, reproduction and the function of vertebrate systems. Educational programs and training in research are offered to students ranging from high school to postdoctoral. Aside from a role in providing meals to students and staff resident at the lab, the facility is used by visitors who come to participate in symposia, workshops and courses held at MDIBL. Use of the lab has more than doubled in the last five years as the laboratory has added new labs, dormitory space and a lecture hall that can be used during winter months. As a result of a growth in summer and winter use, the facility is no longer able to meet the needs of its users. The renovations supported through this award include the doubling of interior dining space, the installation of new plumbing and electrical service, the insulation of the entire building, the drilling a new well for winter water supply, and the addition of a furnace and zone heating. These improvements are expected to expand use of the lab's facilities throughout the year.