Spring 2009, Vol. 5, No. 1 | Back Issues

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If you’re wondering what’s going on in the photo above—it’s not yoga, or Tai Chi, or the latest dance move, but rather me trying my luck at a new MBL sensation—Wii Bowling!

This Activities Committee-sponsored activity has been a great way for employees to combat cabin fever during this particularly long Woods Hole winter while getting to know colleagues from other departments and labs in a fun, relaxed setting. I’ve been an occasional member of the CrushTaceans, one of 12 teams in the league. I’m confident that I have yet to bowl my best score and am hopeful to make a few more “virtual strikes” by the time the league winds down next month.

If you attended the State of the MBL presentation last month, you heard me say that it’s the people—all of you—who make the MBL what it is: an invigorating, intellectual place where excellence in research and education are priority one. Activities like Wii Bowling—and the enthusiastic employees who organize them—are what make the MBL a special place for all of us who spend the better part of our days working here. The Activities Committee is busy planning several other events in the coming months, which you can read more about in this newsletter. I hope that you will consider participating and being a part of the camaraderie that is uniquely the MBL.

Speaking of camaraderie, I’m happy to report that recently the MBL, along with our colleagues at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC), announced the creation of The Woods Hole Consortium. This new alliance will increase the impact of our mutual scientific pursuits, particularly in the areas of climate change and ecosystems health and human well-being.

Never has it been more important to adapt than in these tough economic times and the Consortium is one way that we, as an institution, can address the perils of the current financial landscape. The Consortium will encourage the administrations at all three institutions to work more closely together in the future towards common goals. Specific activities may include pooling resources for climate change and alternative energy research, applying for joint funding opportunities, and coordinating our efforts, where it makes sense, to improve expenses. It also is my hope, and that of my counterparts Susan Avery at WHOI and Richard Houghton at WHRC, that the partnership will spawn scientific growth and job opportunity in the region while building the international reputation of the Woods Hole scientific community.

I’ve always been impressed with the team-like atmosphere at the MBL and the way in which all of us pull together to accomplish our goals. This attitude of working together has now been extended to our fellow Woods Hole institutions through the establishment of the Woods Hole Consortium. This partnership will not only benefit each individual institution, but, we hope, Woods Hole, the region, and society at large.

With all best wishes,
Gary Borisy, Director and CEO

The Collecting Net is an employee newsletter published by the Communications Office. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Call (508) 289-7423 or e-mail us at