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Spring 2007, Vol. 3, No. 2 | Index
Facilities Update
It has been a busy season for construction and renovation projects at the MBL. Here is an update on current and recently completed projects of note:
Rowe Laboratory Renovations
The MBL received a Certificate of Occupancy for the Rowe Laboratory (formerly known as Whitman) earlier this month. MBL staff members have been preparing for the move back into Rowe and have been setting sea water tables in various labs as they are requested. Equipment information is being collected and entered into the MBL Preventative Maintenance Program as training schedules are being prepared. When completed, this will be the most up to date lab building owned by the MBL. A dedication of the building is scheduled for August 3rd.
Woods Hole Drawbridge Replacement
The long-awaited Woods Hole drawbridge replacement project has begun. J.F. White Contracting Company has been hired to lead the effort, which is expected to be substantially completed in May 2008. First steps in the replacement process include building a retractable pedestrian foot bridge across Eel Pond channel from WHOI’s Dyers Dock parking lot to the Smith Lab parking lot as well as building a coffer dam with sheet piles around the new bridge drawworks on the west side of the channel.
While one of the key fiber network cables serving MBL, WHOI, and the National Marine Fisheries Service runs under the drawbridge, an alternative fiber path was rerouted around Eel Pond this spring and all data traffic is now running on this alternative route. Should pile driving damage the fiber cable running under the drawbridge, there will be no interruption of network service to MBL or Fisheries.
The bridge is expected to be closed to automobile traffic in September 2007 and all traffic will be rerouted around Eel Pond. Boat traffic will be accommodated. We will continue to inform MBL employees of any important announcements as the project progresses.
MBL Cottages
Renovations to four Devils Lane cottages have been completed as well as a number of significant repairs to some Memorial Lane cottages.
Video Conferencing Now Available at the MBL
The IT Department is pleased to announce the addition of video conferencing to its list of services available to the MBL community. This new and exciting capability is intended to facilitate meetings and foster collaboration between MBL scientists and staff and our colleagues worldwide.
The MBL has purchased three professional-grade video conferencing systems. One of the systems, located in the Rowe Laboratory’s new Speck Auditorium, is outfitted with two cameras and is suitable for large-scale videoconferences. It is fully integrated in to the auditorium’s audio-visual system. Another system, located in the MBLWHOI Library’s Grass Reading Room, features two, 42-inch plasma displays, appropriate for 8-to 12-user conferences. The third system includes one 42-inch plasma display and is also appropriate for 8- to 12-user conferences. This system is installed on a mobile cart housed in Lillie, with the capability of traveling to meetings in the MRC, Rowe, and Candle House.
According to Rob Loyot, MBL Assistant Director of Information Technology, all three video conferencing systems are “industry standard” H. 323 compliant and will connect with systems that meet the same industry standard specifications. While the Speck Auditorium system will connect with up to four other video conference end points at once, the Grass Reading Room and mobile systems are currently only capable of point-to-point connections. These systems will be upgraded with multi-point capability in the future. All are capable of computer screen sharing by connecting a laptop to the system. This will enable a PowerPoint presentation to be shared between conference attendees.
The IT department is responsible for reserving and deploying all video conferencing services. There is a $100 per conference fee to use any of the systems.
For questions regarding MBL video conferencing, contact Rob Loyot at x7434, rloyot@mbl.edu
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
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