This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
This project comprises the replacement of aging and sub-standard space for research on ocean biogeochemistry and its role in climate. NSF will fund the installation of a laboratory wing as part of a new building being constructed on a campus of the Bigelow Laboratory in East Boothbay, Maine. The new building is to be called the Center for Ocean Biogeochemistry and Climate Change (COBCC). The research space will replace a research area spread over several leased buildings that include trailers and other structures inappropriate for modern biogeochemical research. The COBCC will conduct research in air-sea interactions, cellular biogeochemistry, marine optics, ocean biogeochemistry, ocean observing, radiochemistry, and trace-metal geochemistry. Research in the COBCC will contribute to knowledge about the relationship between climate and ocean ecosystems. Collaborative research between COBCC scientists and biological researchers at Bigelow will provide a better understanding of how the biology of single-celled marine organisms frames ocean biogeochemistry. Examples of the type of research that will be conducted in the renovated facility include: - the interconnected processes by which essential elements are cycled through the ocean by marine biota; - the key interactions between sunlight, water, atmosphere, sediments and ice that determine basin-wide plankton ecology and biogeochemistry at the interfaces of the ocean; and - the impact of a varying global climate on ocean biogeochemistry. In addition to providing infrastructure for research, the COBCC will support research training for post-doctoral researchers, undergraduate participation in research as part of Bigelow?s Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, and high-school student exposure to research through an annual, week-long, high school, research-in-residence program. In the short term, the project will provide employment for people in the construction trades. In the longer term, the project should enhance Maine?s ability to attract research dollars through competitive federal grant programs and through partnership with industry. It will also provide employment opportunities for young researchers in Maine.
This award provided $4,975,000 in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funds to replace the Bigelow Laboratory’s leased and deteriorating biogeochemistry and climate research and training facilities in West Boothbay Harbor, ME, and create a larger, integrated Center for Ocean Biochemistry and Climate Change (COBCC) on a 64-acre Ocean Science campus at East Boothbay, approximately 8 miles from the original laboratory location. The inefficient physical separation of the original infrastructure severely impacted the Laboratory’s ability to share resources and collaborate on emerging ocean science initiatives. The COBCC consists of both laboratory and office/meeting room facilities. The laboratory replacement component amounted to 7,748 SF and is the subject of this award. Bigelow Laboratory undertook significant bank financing in coordination with a Capital Campaign to fund construction of the office and meeting room spaces, amounting to 3,091 SF as part of the total 17,197 GSF project. Seven research areas are performed by the COBCC group: Air-sea interactions (gas chromatography), Ocean biogeochemistry (organic and nutrient analyses), Trace-metal geochemistry (trace metal analyses), Cellular biogeochemistry (cell culturing and microscopy), Marine optics (optics experiments and glider commissioning), Ocean observing (processing of remotely-sensed data), and Radiochemistry (radioisotope experiments). By bringing together physically disjointed research areas into a single, physically and operationally integrated whole, the COBCC facility catalyzes the collaborative synergy needed to provide scientific information on the role of plankton in ocean and climate change. The COBCC has immediately allowed Bigelow Laboratory to take its existing biogeochemistry and climate research programs to an improved level of functionality, increasing scientific coherence by linking field work, laboratory analysis, and modeling to advance knowledge of the ocean’s role in global change. Since 2011, 45 peer-reviewed publications have been produced addressing three key science questions concerning the role of plankton in ocean and climate change, namely: 1) How do phytoplankton contribute to trace metal cycling in the upper ocean? 2) How does changing seasonality impact wind-driven mixing in the Arctic system? 3) What is the role of the Great Calcite Belt in the Southern Ocean regarding the global carbon cycle? The design of the COBCC was carried out by Perkins + Will (Boston) and WBRC Architects and Engineers (Bangor). Construction Management was provided by Consigli Construction Company. All firms were chosen through a competitive bidding process. The entire campus project, of which the COBCC was one wing, resulted in $27M in construction contracts with over 90 contracts issued to Maine companies for construction services, 220,000 man hours estimated for construction, and approximately 94 full time equivalent jobs for on site construction workers. Approximately 47 jobs were created or sustained supplying construction materials and services. The completion of the COBCC and the other two wings of the Bigelow Laboratory campus has had a massive impact on the reputation and sustainability of the Laboratory. The award of LEED ® Platinum status for energy efficiency and design speaks highly of the commitment to environmental and operational goals, as well as enhancing reputation. The construction of the new Laboratory Campus has also attracted the interest of the business sector in Maine. In April 2012, the Maine International Trade Center profiled the Laboratory’s work on its website, including a full-length feature article on the new campus (www.mitc.com/members/FeaturedMember.asp). The Laboratory was the recipient of the 2012 Business Improvement Award from the Boothbay Region Chamber of Commerce, and was ranked ninth out of 32 business in its size category as one of the best places to work in the state by the seventh annual Best Places to Work in Maine Program. In June 2013, the Laboratory was awarded the accolade of "Innovator of the Year" by the Maine International Trade Center. There were no problems or changes to the agreed project. The construction was completed on time and to budget. The photos show the COBCC during the Fourth Quarter of 2012. ?
