MBL Celebrates Another Successful Summer Season

Cape Cod is a bustling place in the summer and the MBL is no exception. During the height of the summer season, our campus swells from a year round staff of under 300 to nearly 1,000 with visiting students, scientists, and researchers. 

This year, more than 500 students from 31 countries headed to Woods Hole to take part in one of the MBL’s Advanced Research Training Courses (ARTCs). The 2024 busy season kicked off in April with the Analytical & Quantitative Light Microscopy (AQLM). Joining the students were 305 faculty, 206 guest lecturers, and 269 teaching assistants. The students hailed from 273 different institutions around the world. 

“Every summer is a special one at MBL. Hundreds of students and visiting researchers come together, connect,  and inspire each other and our staff. Ideas sparked at the MBL make their way around the world and I can't wait to continue the energy in 2025," said Linda Hyman, Burroughs Wellcome Director of Education.

The scientists visiting this summer in our Whitman and Grass labs dove deep into a variety of topics from understanding childhood stress and tree frogs to memory cognition and cephalopods and plenty in between. Joining the 90 Whitman Scientists, Whitman Fellows, and Grass Fellows, were 126 assistant and associate scientists and 554 graduate students.

Every summer since its founding in 1888, the Marine Biological Laboratory has hosted public evening lectures that are free and open to our community. Our iconic Friday Evening Lecture series brought thousands of attendees this year. (Did you miss a lecture? No worries, you can watch a recording online).

Are you a student looking to come back to the MBL? If so, explore how to come back to the MBL for a job, programs or courses, research opportunities, conferences and more.

The 2026 ARTC schedule will be announced later this fall.

The MBL is a nonprofit that relies on your support. If you love the MBL, please consider donating to support science.