Saving Science by the Sea | Science Magazine

In an editorial published today in Science, MBL Trustee Susan Fitzpatrick and MBL Fellow Jane Maienschein reflect on the urgency of supporting marine laboratories such as the MBL, given the pressures they face in the current funding environment and their key role in the ecosystem of scientific discovery. 

As funding for science tightens across the United States, attention has turned to pressures faced by universities and biomedical research institutions. An often overlooked part of the nation’s science ecosystem, however, are the small, independent marine laboratories that are also bearing the brunt of funding cuts and other constraints imposed by the Trump administration. These institutions have long nurtured generations of scientists—from high school students to Nobel laureates—and precipitated discoveries that have advanced modern science. Yet they now face an uncertain future, and losing them would eliminate not only a powerful convergence of research and education but also a wellspring of scientific advancement.

Marine laboratories occupy a rare niche. They are mostly independent but often loosely affiliated with universities by sharing faculty, space, or other resources. They host students and scientists from weeks to months, mixing disciplines and experience levels that break down traditional academic silos across the spectrum of life sciences, from molecular to microbial to ecological ... People come to work intensively in this atmosphere and in nonheirarchical teams, sharing ideas over meals and debating hard questions long into the night. They work together, live together, and share the excitement of discovery together.

The Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, founded in 1888, established the precedent. Read rest of the editorial here.

Source: Saving Science by the Sea | Science Magazine