MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. 



necessary funds." In the spring of 1888 

 about ten thousand dollars had been se- 

 cured, and accordingly the Marine Biolog- 

 ical Laboratoi-y was incorporated and steps 

 were taken to open it that season. After 

 prolonged consideration the trustees de- 

 cided to locate the laboratory at Woods 

 Holl, Mass., and the whole history of the 

 institution has shown the wisdom of this 

 decision. 



The natural advantages of Woods Holl 

 deserve especial emphasis because they 

 have been fundamental to the success of the 

 Laboratory. In a good location a biolog- 

 ical laboratory may be highly successful 

 with very little equipment, while in a poor 

 location no amount of money can make up 

 for this defect. 



In 18S1 Professor Baird determined to lo- 

 cate the marine laboratory of the U. S. Fish 

 Commission at Woods Holl, after having in- 

 vestigated, during the preceding ten years, 

 almost everj' available point on the Atlantic 

 coast. It is doubtful whether at any other 

 single place on this coast so many valuable 

 and important features can be found. The 

 only other place seriously considered by Pro- 

 fessor Baird was Newport, R. I., and this 

 was finally rejected because of the relative 

 impurity of the water of Narragansett Bay. 

 On the other hand the waters of Buzzards 

 Bay and Viuej'ard Sound are of exceptional 

 purity, there being no large fresh water 

 streams in the vicinity nor cities discharg- 

 ing their filth into the waters. In the im- 

 mediate vicinity of Woods Holl are nu- 

 merous harbors and lagoons, with muddy, 

 sandy or rocky bottoms, while the coast is 

 so broken by bays, promontories, straits 

 and islands as to afl'ord the most varied 

 habitats. In addition the tide currents 

 which sweep in through the sound and ' hole' 

 bring in multitudes of floating animals and 

 plants, many of which are tropical forms 

 carried in fi oin the Gulf Stream, which is 

 distant only about one hundred miles. 



The proximity of the Gulf Stream to this 

 portion of the New England coast gives a 

 laboratory located at this point many of 

 the advantages of a tropical station with- 

 out any of the accompanying disadvan- 

 tages. There are also many fresh water 

 ponds and lakes in the vicinity which 

 contain a rich fauna and flora. Add 

 to these things the fact that Woods Holl 

 is readily accessible by rail or boat, that 

 the climate in summer i.s delightful, the 

 bathing excellent, the mainland and is- 

 lands charming, the sound with its con- 

 tinual procession of ships always varied 

 and interesting, and you have in Woods 

 Holl not only an ideal place for a laboratory, 

 but also an ideal place for summer resi- 

 dence. 



Having determined to locate the Labora- 

 tory at Woods Holl, the Trustees bought a 

 small piece of land near the Fish Commis- 

 sion Station and erected upon it a plain 

 wooden building, 63 x 28 feet and two sto- 

 ries high. This was equipped with the 

 most necessary apparatus and the Marine 

 Biological Laboratory was first opened 

 July 17, 1888. 



From the first it was determined that 

 the Laboratory should not be under the 

 control of any college, university or other 

 institution, but that it should be truly na- 

 tional iu character and that it should invite 

 the cooperation of all persons and institu- 

 tions interested in the advancement of the 

 science of Biology. Accordingly the Lab- 

 oratory was organized on an independent 

 foundation. 



Its government was vested in a Corpora- 

 tion and a Board of Trustees. The Cor- 

 poration, at first ten in number, now con- 

 sists of several hundred persons, manj' of 

 them present or former students and inves- 

 tigators at the Laboratory', who are inter- 

 ested in its welfare and have contributed to 

 its support. The Corporation elects an- 

 nually six members of the Board of Trus- 



