Our Community

The Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory offers a welcoming community energized by the excitement of discovery. Our beautiful coastal location shapes our identity, while our visiting faculty, students, and global collaborations link us to leading research and academic centers in Maine and around the world.

MDIBL has grown rapidly over the past ten years and continues to recruit new investigators and construct state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. Yet we are committed to maintaining the unique atmosphere created by a small, diverse, collaborative, and open-minded cadre of leading researchers and students.

Approximately sixty visiting scientists join our resident faculty in Salisbury Cove each year to conduct collaborative research. Two Nobel laureates and eighteen members of the National Academy of Science have been investigators here, and many of the adjunct faculty lead departments at their home institutions. Each year, about three hundred students at all stages of their scientific education join in this exceptional community and are greeted as new colleagues.

With a commitment to preserving the marine environment and the belief that everyone needs to understand science, MDIBL’s community extends beyond the world of scientific research. We are restoring marine habitat and engaging local school children and community volunteers in scientific activities that monitor and protect water quality.

We offer programs throughout the summer that educate the public about the marine environment, genetics, and biomedical research. Family science nights bring hundreds of children to the Lab, and our aquarium and touch tank mean that hands-on education can begin when a child reaches for their first sea star.

We welcome you to the Laboratory and hope you will consider visiting or joining our unique scientific community.