Cape & Islands News

National Marine Life Center benefits from Marine Biological Laboratory donation

Donated equipment to help NMLC, lessen impact at landfill

The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole takes their commitment to the environment seriously. One component of their effort to “go green” with their Loeb Laboratory renovation involves recycling some of the furnishings by donating them to the National Marine Life Center in Buzzards Bay for reuse.

The National Marine Life Center (NMLC) is building a new hospital to care for the hundreds of marine animals that strand each year on Cape Cod. Their current phase of construction includes the building exterior, infrastructure, and sea turtle ward. This phase is scheduled for completion within the next several weeks, just in time to admit the cold-stunned sea turtles that are beginning to appear on Cape Cod shorelines.

A team from MBL delivers a fiberglass tank to the National Marine Life Center site. Photos courtesy of NMLC.

When fully complete, NMLC’s 15,000-square foot, 200,000-gallon facility will be the only marine animal hospital in the United States capable of simultaneously housing under one roof injured sea turtles, seals, dolphins, and pilot whales.

The donated equipment from the MBL includes a rectangular tank, a 390 KVA standby generator and automatic transfer switch, sixteen durable laboratory-grade sinks, a fume hood, two steam dishwashers, storage cabinets, chairs, and file cabinets. With the help of the MBL's construction managers, Shawmut Design and Construction, MBL facilities staff delivered the equipment to NMLC. “We were tremendously excited to receive this gift from MBL,” exclaimed Kathy Zagzebski, NMLC President and Executive Director.  “The equipment will save us money and be put to good use in our science and educational laboratories.”

"The MBL is committed to reducing our environmental impact and is pleased that the National Marine Life Center can benefit from this used equipment," said Richard Cutler, Director of Facilities and Services. "Recycling of these materials is not only helping the NMLC as they build their new hospital, but will also reduce the amount of materials that may otherwise be left for a landfill as unused waste."

The National Marine Life Center in Buzzards Bay is an independent, not-for-profit marine animal hospital, science, and education center. Its mission is to rehabilitate for release stranded sea turtles, seals, dolphins, porpoises, and small whales, and to advance scientific knowledge and education in marine wildlife health and conservation. Since admitting its first patient in 2004, the National Marine Life Center has cared for 67 animals. For more information or to donate, visit www.nmlc.org or call (508) 743-9888.

The MBL is a leading international, independent, nonprofit institution dedicated to discovery and to improving the human condition through creative research and education in the biological, biomedical and environmental sciences. Founded in 1888 as the Marine Biological Laboratory, the MBL is the oldest private marine laboratory in the Americas. For more information, visit www.MBL.edu.

Release courtesy of the NMLC.