Facilities

    Growth and change in the physical facility reflect the changes in program and staff. The original facility, a one-room wooden building supported on pilings, was replaced in 1940 by a brick building having about 4800 square feet of floor space. This structure is still in use. In addition, a three-story laboratory-office building containing more than 28,000 square feet of floor space was completed in 1966. The two buildings house 30 laboratories and offices. The laboratory is well-equipped  for field studies and for collecting the animals necessary for laboratory tests.    

  A seawater system pumps water from Milford Harbor into the laboratory where it is heated, cooled, or filtered, as needed. This temperature-controlled water is supplied to 13 wet labs. Forty-five outdoor raceway tanks are available for holding marine animals. Seventeen raceway tanks and nine circular tanks are enclosed in a heated building to allow year-round use. Recently a 960 square foot greenhouse was completed to allow mass production of algae needed for the aquaculture of scallops. In addition, a facility was established for the culture of bay scallops using recirculating seawater systems, taking advantage of the large quantities of algae grown in the greenhouse.

     Several laboratories are devoted to the culture of microalgae. A highly regarded collection of about 200 pure cultures of different species or strains of algae is maintained; these cultures have been provided to laboratories throughout the world. Certain types of algae are produced in large quantities to provide food for the shellfish maintained in the laboratory. The staff tests various types of algae and schedules of feeding to determine the best conditions for each type of shellfish.

    The laboratory is equipped for a variety of experimental work. Transmission and scanning electron microscopes are available for ultrastructural work, as are several high-resolution phase-contrast microscopes and the necessary preparatory equipment . Equipment for chemical and biochemical analyses is available, including a dual-beam spectrophotometer, an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, a spectrofluorometer, electrophoresis equipment, flow-cytometer and a high pressure liquid chromatograph.   

    The 49-foot research vessel, R/V Victor Loosanoff, is equipped with many types of hydrographic and biological sampling gear. Small boats are available when the larger boat is too large for the job. SCUBA divers can perform field experiments and specialized sampling. Milford scientists participate in offshore fisheries cruises along the Atlantic Coast on NOAA's larger research vessels.  

      Information gathered is made available through publication in scientific journals and technical reports and through presentations at scientific meetings. In addition, the laboratory sponsors several conferences at which people from government, universities, and industry come together to discuss mutual interests. An annual aquaculture symposium and a biennial symposium on flatfish biology provide excellent opportunities for sharing the expertise of the laboratory scientists. Scientists have visited the laboratory for periods of time ranging from a day to a year to learn about the techniques developed here or to use the equipment and facility for projects that they are unable to do at their home laboratories. A specialized collection of books and periodicals in our library is open to the public by appointment.

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