Fall 2006, Vol. 2, No. 2 | Index

Whitman Building's chilled seawater room. Facilities Update The MBL campus is abuzz with construction and renovation projects. Here is an update on recently completed projects, current projects, and those soon to be underway: Whitman Building Renovation As of September 15, the MBL turned over the “ownership” of the Whitman building to Boston-based Shawmut Design and Construction. The MBL plans to re-occupy the building by May 15, with another two weeks needed to get materials back into the proper labs. View slideshow MBL Facilities staff were busy during much of August and September clearing out laboratories and moving equipment and materials to MBL’s Falmouth Technology Park facility for storage. Asbestos removal and demolition are both currently underway. Only authorized MBL staff are allowed to enter Whitman. Authorized individuals who enter the building must wear proper shoes, safety glasses, and a hard hat. Eel Pond Sea Wall The third and final phase of the Eel Pond sea wall project has begun. The project will include a complete reconstruction of the structure, from MBL Street to the middle section of the previously replaced sea wall. Parking in the Lillie lot will be limited during construction. Marshview Farm Feasibility Study A feasibility study for the expansion of the MBL’s five-acre Marshview property in the North Shore community of Newbury, Massachusetts, is expected to be finalized this month. The property consists of a large house and a large barn/farm market building. It is the field site of the Ecosystems Center’s Plum Island Sound Long-Term Ecological Research Program. The buildings provide office space and housing for short- and long-term researchers, space for sample processing, equipment and boats, and facilities to conduct experiments. The feasibility study has been headed up by Andrew Sidford Architects in Newburyport and will assess how the buildings on the property may be renovated or new buildings constructed in the future to meet research, education, and outreach goals. Other Project News: The second phase of the Bay Paul Center expansion focusing on new laboratory construction is slated for completion by October. Devil’s Lane cottages 15a and 17a are having a new septic system installed. Re-siding of the Loeb and Environmental Science Lab buildings is now complete.

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