Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is hosting the first of two summer public tours of its research facilities on Friday, July 1, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. The Laboratory is located at 60 Bigelow Drive in East Boothbay. Visitors will gather in the Commons area of the Laboratory prior to the start of the tour.

The tour will be led by research scientists and staff members of Bigelow Laboratory. Guests will be guided through the three research wings of the Laboratory: the Helen and Walter Norton Ocean Microbiome and Blue Biotechnology Center, the Center for Ocean Biogeochemistry and Climate Change, and the Center for Ocean Health, and will see the state-of-the-art instruments and creative laboratory spaces of our senior research scientists. The Laboratory received the highest certification from the U.S. Green Building Council as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum building.

Guests will also have the chance to speak with scientists about their projects. Current research topics include marine microbes, seafood safety, aquaculture, ocean acidification, and climate change.

The tour is free, open to the public, and appropriate for children age 10 and older. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times. No pets are allowed. The Laboratory is handicapped accessible and parking is available on site.

Call (207) 315-2567 x 104 or email rsvp@bigelow.org to reserve your tour space or to request more information. Visit www.bigelow.org for a full list of public events at Bigelow Laboratory this summer.