Researchers from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay regularly team up with artists to help share their findings and gain new perspectives. By exploring the fusion of science and art, these creative collaborations are helping people explore the wonder of the world and the science that reveals its full splendor.

On July 9 at 5 p.m., learn more about these innovative partnerships at Bigelow Laboratory in East Boothbay during “Art and Science: New Insights Through Creative Collaborations.” This free Café Sci event will feature short presentations by four teams of artists and ocean scientists, as well as a performance by Halcyon String Quartet – a new group that uses music to promote environmental stewardship in response to climate change.

One of the presenting artist-scientist teams is composed of Mike Lomas, a marine biogeochemist, and Krisanne Baker, an interdisciplinary artist and educator. Baker drew inspiration to create over one hundred pieces of glass art from the vast collection of algae and phytoplankton curated by Bigelow Laboratory’s National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota, which Lomas directs.

“Phytoplankton are so small that you typically can’t see them without a microscope, but they are among the most important organisms on the planet,” Lomas said. “Art has an incredible capacity to help people understand and connect with parts of our world that are otherwise inaccessible.”

Three other teams of artists and scientists will be featured during the event. Local Boothbay Harbor artists Philippe and Kim Villard are collaborating with researcher David Emerson on a project inspired by key microbial processes in the Arctic. During an artist-in-residency at the Laboratory last fall, Justin Levesque worked with Joaquín Martínez Martínez to offer a new look at viruses from Antarctic lakes. And artist Anna Dibble is collaborating with Nick Record, as well as students from across the state, to create an art installation about the impacts of climate change and pollution on the Gulf of Maine.

Bigelow Laboratory’s Café Sci is a series of free events that helps the public engage with ocean researchers on critical issues and groundbreaking science. This year, the series of six talks will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays from July 9 through Aug. 13. For more details and to register for events, visit bigelow.org/cafesci