Healthy and Safe Swimming on MDI
Maine Healthy Beaches is “a statewide effort to monitor water quality and protect public health at Maine’s participating coastal saltwater beaches”. Each week, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, volunteers and staff from the Community Environmental Health Lab at MDIBL and Acadia National Park test many of the most popular swim spots on MDI. Each…
Continue ReadingFunding Helps Expand Arsenic Awareness Program
Groundwater contaminated with naturally occurring arsenic is one of the most pressing public health issues in Maine and New Hampshire. Since 2016, associate professor of environmental health, Jane Disney, Ph.D., has focused on understanding how much arsenic is in our environment by engaging students as citizen scientists in collecting well water for arsenic analysis. This…
Continue ReadingMDI Biological Laboratory to Host Environmental Data Fellow
The old adage says that many hands make light work – and during the busy MDIBL summers, we’re thankful for all the hands we can get! The whole community is excited that MDIBL has been selected as a host site 2022 for an Environmental Data Initiative (EDI) Data Management Fellowship. The EDI’s mission focuses on…
Continue ReadingNot Just a Drop in the Bucket
Arsenic is a naturally occurring element in many residential wells in Maine. At elevated levels, it poses a potentially significant health threat, causing cancer, heart disease, immune dysfunction, and developmental delays in children. MDI Biological Laboratory’s Jane Disney, Ph.D. has been engaging researchers, teachers, and students in Maine and New Hampshire in well water monitoring…
Continue ReadingThis Is Why: Volunteer Mike Hays
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the MDI Biological Laboratory’s relocation from South Harpswell, Maine to our current location in Salisbury Cove. As part of our celebration to honor this important anniversary, MDIBL is participating in a collaborative project with the Mount Desert Island Historical Society (MDIHS), Acadia National Park, A Climate to Thrive,…
Continue ReadingFrom Debris to Art
Original artwork completed by eco-artist Mariah Reading during MDI Biological Laboratory’s From Debris to Art project, is now on display at the Maine Center for Biomedical Innovation. While the campus remains closed to the public for COVID-19 safety precautions, the exhibition can be viewed in a virtual gallery on our project website. As soon as…
Continue ReadingAnecdata.org: Citizen Science keeps us connected while we’re apart
MDI Biological Laboratory has moved quickly to continue providing opportunities for educational experiences and public engagement in scientific research. Anecdata.org, our online citizen science platform, is just one way we’re increasing our connectivity with like-minded people while we all need to stay apart to slow the spread of COVID-19. Based out of our Community Lab,…
Continue ReadingThis Is Why: Supporting What We Believe In
Supporting MDIBL’s infrastructure in a way that also helps the environment was an easy decision to make. As scientists, we are always looking for the next innovation. It is important to me that we think beyond ourselves and to the future; we need to be ahead of the curve. An electronic vehicle charging station may…
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