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 aspects of culture of microalgae.
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. Equipment for chemical and biochemical analyses is available, including a dual-beam spectrophotometer, an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, a spectrofluorometer, electrophoresis equipment, and a high pressure liquid chromatograph. Information gathered here is made available through publication in scientific journals and technical reports and through presentations at scientific meetings.