Dear Editor:

The last few weeks have separated individuals and drawn communities together. They have reminded us all how connected we are, and how much we need to work together. This is as true for the Boothbay peninsula as it is across the country, and around the world.

At Bigelow Laboratory, our priority is to protect our family, friends, and neighbors in the local community. To that end, we’ve completely changed the way we work for the foreseeable future.

All of our team is working from home as much as possible, and we’ve closed the lab to the public. We’ve also implemented a host of new policies to prevent the transmission of contagions, suspended all business travel, canceled all visits and events before May 1, and put procedures in place to evaluate all upcoming programs and events after that date.

There is so much exciting and promising work going on at the lab right now. And the current crisis has been an important reminder of how critical it is to proactively invest in scientific discovery and solutions. Thankfully, most of our staff can work partially or completely remotely, and our science will continue at its normal swift pace.

We, like all our neighbors on the Boothbay peninsula, are committed to doing whatever is needed to help. It’s what makes our community such a special place to live and work, and it will help us get through this trying time.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, I encourage you to reach out to us. While the lab is now on lockdown, we can still be reached at our main number (207-315-2567).

We’ll get through this, together. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Deborah Bronk

President and CEO

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences