MBL - A Guide for Summer Investigators
From the Whitman Center Steering Committee
(Summer 2015; revised May 2015)
The MBL website (www.mbl.edu) provides a great deal of information on these and other topics, but here
is what you need to know when you first arrive. We have made every attempt to update this guide but if
there are errors please let us know at researchprograms@mbl.edu.
FIRST THINGS FIRST!
1. Check into housing and get your housing keys.
Please check in at the front desk on the first floor of Swope if you are staying in any MBL Housing. The
Housing Office is staffed from 8 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week, except for holidays. If you arrive after
office hours, and find the doors locked please use the call box at the front door of Swope to call MBL
Watchstaff for assistance at (508) 289-7217 or x2717 from any house phone. If your arrival is delayed,
please call the Housing Office at (508)-289-7213 or email housing@mbl.edu. Failure to inform Housing
of an arrival delay may be subject to a cancellation fee.
Cottages (at Devil’s Lane and Memorial Circle) are located approximately one mile away from the MBL
main campus and you will require transportation to get there.
For more information about housing visit: http://www.mbl.edu/housing/.
2. Get your MBL ID card.
If you have questions about your card access, please call the Office of Research Administration &
Programs at X7173 or email researchprograms@mbl.edu.
The MBL ID card serves as your photo ID badge, name tag, MBL/WHOI Library card, meal card, and
provides access to MBL services and buildings after hours. Cards are printed and issued at the Processing
office in Swope 101A. Please bring a driver's license or a photo-ID when picking up your access card.
Your access card has a wide magnetic strip that must be swiped through card readers at designated MBL
doors for after-hours access to facilities including laboratories, the MBL/WHOI Library and the Lillie
elevator. Each card is individually programmed to provide access to specific services/buildings
(dependent upon your affiliation).
3. Get your Parking Permit.
There are two types of MBL parking permits: green and red. Whitman/summer investigators not living on
campus or in MBL housing are issued a GREEN parking permit, which allows parking in campus lots
(Lillie, Loeb, Swope, etc.) during business hours (8 AM – 4 PM; M-F. Whitman/summer investigators
living in MBL cottages or MBL campus housing are assigned a RED parking permit, allowing parking at
the Devil’s Lane off-campus parking lot or at MBL cottages. Shuttle service is available between the
Devil’s Lane parking lot and the MBL campus (Lillie Building) during the summer season. Those with
RED parking permits are allowed to park in campus lots only after 4 PM, M-F, and on weekends. Failure
to follow MBL parking permit rules can result in your car being towed. Parking permits and a required
parking permit registration form are available at the main desk in Swope.
The full parking permit policy and application can be found at: http://ws1.mbl.edu/Parking/stickers.asp.
(You must already have your MBL ID card and an MBL single sign-on account set up to apply online.)
WARNING: The Falmouth Police are quite enthusiastic about giving out tickets at expired parking meters,
including those on Water Street and MBL Street.
4. Getting to and from the Cottages.
Shuttle service between MBL's Woods Hole campus, the Cottages, and the Devil's Lane Parking Lot is
1
available during summer months (from June 8 to August 28, 2015). The shuttle runs approximately every
20 minutes 6:30 AM - 7:40 PM, Monday-Friday, and 8:00 AM - 11:50 AM, Saturday. There is no shuttle
service on Sunday. For the shuttle schedule, visit: http://www.mbl.edu/services/mbl-shuttle/
For walking and biking, there is a footpath to the right of the entrance of the Devil’s Lane parking lot that
connects directly to the Shining Sea Bikeway (http://www.woodshole.com/documents/bikewaymap.pdf).
It is about a one mile walk from the cottages to the MBL main campus. This bikeway provides a fun way
to get to the MBL — and Falmouth Center (approximately 4-5 miles) for dining and shopping. The full
bikeway is 10.7 miles long and provides a scenic ride through some of Falmouth’s beautiful ponds and
marshes.
5. How do I arrange to receive and send mail via the MBL Mail Room?
To receive mail at the MBL, you must register in the Mail Room, located in the basement of Lillie.
Your mailing address will be:
Your name, MBL
7 MBL Street
Woods Hole, MA 0254
6. Where are telephones on campus?
If you don’t have a cell phone, telephones are available in all dormitories, apartments and cottages. Long
distance access is available from all MBL phones by using a long distance calling card. Emergency Call
Boxes can be found in Ebert Hall, the Brick Apartment Building, and outside of Swope. When calling
MBL phone numbers from off-campus, use: 508-289-extension (e.g. x7217 for night watchman becomes:
508-289-7217). You can view and/or download MBL’s online Directory at http://www.mbl.edu/contact/.
7. What do I do if I am locked out (lab or housing)?
Call the Watchstaff (508-289-7217 from off-campus or x7217 from an on-campus phone). Make sure to
put this number in your cell phone.
8. What resources are available in the village of Woods Hole?
The village of Woods Hole has an outstanding public library, a post office, a small market*, a coffee shop,
a package store, a bakery, candy and ice cream shops, and several restaurants (take-out, and sit down casual to tablecloths, see below). See this link for village information:
http://www.woodshole.com/documents/map-two-sided.pdf
*The Woods Hole Market has a wide range of basic groceries, cleaning supplies, fresh produce, deli
counter (including hot and cold sandwiches), bakery goods, and a good selection of over-the-counter
drugs and sundries. A weekend market in the Woods Hole Fire Station also has some fresh produce and
occasional baked goods.
9. Where are the grocery stores?
The town of Falmouth has several major grocery stores (Stop & Shop, Shaw’s, Walmart, and at the higher
end, Windfall Market), pharmacies, clothing stores, hardware stores, bike rental shops, fishing gear, gas
stations, and many restaurants. Most are on Route 28 (which includes Main Street). For more information,
visit http://www.falmouthchamber.com/. There is a wonderful weekly farmer’s market in downtown
Falmouth every Thursday: http://www.falmouthfarmersmarket.org/. The Whoosh Trolley starts running
from Woods Hole to Shaw’s/Walmart/Falmouth Mall parking lot around mid-June to the end of August:
http://www.capecodtransit.org/whoosh-route.htm
10. Where are the laundry facilities?
Laundry facilities, which take credit card/debit card ONLY are available on the ground floor of Swope, in
the basements of Ebert Hall and the Brick Apartments, and in Pilot House located near the cottages. It is
suggested you bring your own detergent, but coin-operated detergent vending machines are located in all
laundry rooms. Change is available at the main desk in Swope.
2
GETTING YOUR LAB WORK STARTED
11. Where can I get an MBL account number for charging supplies and time on microscopes, etc. at
the Stockroom, Microscope facility, etc.
An MBL account number is required to rent equipment, tank space, purchase supplies, animals, etc., at
the MBL. If you don’t already have one, please see Carol Coughlan in the Accounts Receivable Office
(Homestead 207, x7225, ar@mbl.edu). (This account number will be tagged to your name and can be
used from year to year.)
12. Where do I buy small lab supplies, etc.?
The Stockroom (basement of Lillie) provides chemicals, laboratory supplies, and limited custom-made
artificial seawater solutions. Supplies include glassware, filters, adhesives, batteries, and dissecting
instruments. Supplies are also furnished for safety, cleaning, and office.
For more information contact Lionel Hall at: (508) 289-7236, chemroom@mbl.edu
13. How do I rent equipment?
The Apparatus Department (Lillie, Room 8a) rents a wide variety of scientific equipment (e.g. table-top
centrifuges, manipulators, water baths, fiber optic lights, manipulators, etc.) and sells electronic
components such as transistors, resistors, capacitors, ICs, and connectors. Any unusual components not in
stock can be ordered for quick delivery. Apparatus can also obtain gas cylinders, regulators, and dry ice
for your lab needs.
For more information, visit: http://www.mbl.edu/services/research/apparatus/
14. Is there common use equipment available?
The General Use Equipment Rooms supply investigators with instrumentation, some owned by MBL and
some on loan. Located in the Rowe Building (217, 218, 317, 318) and Lillie Building (218), these rooms
have balances, pH meters, centrifuges, cell disruption systems, spectrophotometers, a gel scanner and
analysis system, pipet pullers, PCR machines, etc. Limited -80°C freezer space is available.
15. How do I purchase animals for research?
Individual investigators, who have an MBL account, may charge animals to their account. However,
animal care approval is needed prior to ordering any animals.
For more information about:
ordering marine organisms, visit: http://www.mbl.edu/services/ordering-marine-organisms/
ordering vertebrates, visit: http://www.mbl.edu/research/services/ordering-vertebrates/
IACUC policies, visit: http://www.mbl.edu/services/iacuc/
Obtaining tank space, visit: http://www.mbl.edu/mrc/services/tank-space-application/
disposing of dead animals, please contact the MBL veterinarian: ahancock@mbl.edu
16. What is the procedure for storing and disposing of hazardous waste?
All chemical waste and disposal questions should go to Jim Marcello, the Environmental Health and
Safety Manager for MBL (jmarcello@mbl.edu). Jim will provide your lab with sharps containers, waste
tags, and stickers, and he will assist you with your specific safety needs.
For more information, visit: http://www.mbl.edu/services/safety/
17. How do I access the MBL computer network and internet services?
Wireless network access is available to everyone in the MBL Community while on campus. The MBL
offers multiple available wireless networks to address the varying connection requirements for all
members of the MBL Community. All wireless networks are broadcast across the entire MBL Campus.
The IT office can be reached at (508) 289-7654, helpdesk.mbl.edu, or helpdesk@mbl.edu.
3

MBL-REGISTER: Wireless network is designed for MBL Staff and Researchers who need access
to internal Network resources. If you have questions about which wireless network is the correct
one for you, please contact the IT (helpdesk@mbl.edu).

MBL-GUEST: Is an easy-access encrypted wireless network that is designed to provide highspeed Internet access and address the casual Internet requirements of the average user.

eduroam: Provides access to the “eduroam” secure wireless network access and is available to
users whose home institution is also an “eduroam” Identity Provider such as UChicago.
Ethernet data jacks with direct access to the MBL network are available to all dormitories and
apartments. Two computers, one printer, and six phone jacks (for use with laptops with modems)
are available on the first floor of the Swope Center. Additional computers, as well as
photocopiers, can be found in the Library on the second floor of Lillie.

18. How to get on the LabAll listserv (to receive important MBL-wide emails)?
The MBL External Relations Office frequently sends out announcements that are useful and informative
for all staff and faculty, including visiting researchers. If you would like to receive laball emails, send an
email to laball@mbl.edu requesting to be added to the list.
19. How can I access the Library and its electronic journal collection?
The website for the library is: http://www.mblwhoilibrary.org. The Library is accessible 24 hours a day.
Your ID card will allow you into the Library after hours when the doors are locked. Whitman Center
scientists and staff, researchers visiting resident scientists, adjunct scientists, course faculty, course
students, and other non-MBL employees no longer have remote access or interlibrary loan services but
still have full use of the Library's electronic resources while on campus (per e-mail from the Library dated
February 1, 2013). However, for access from your personal computer on-campus, you will need to be on
the MBL REGISTER (not MBL GUEST) network. The user name is your initials and the five digit code
as they appear on your MBL ID card (e.g., jw12345). Your password will be the same as your user name
until you update it online.
20. What common use rooms are available for meetings and how are they reserved?
Several conference rooms are available on campus, and they can be booked for lab meetings or phone
conferences. These rooms are widely used, have limited availability, and include Rowe 105, 405, Lillie
103, Lillie 100A, and several others. Lillie 103 has video conferencing capabilities. Contact
meetingspace@mbl.edu to book a conference room or call Liz McCarthy at x7214.
21. What else is going on at the MBL during the summer?
Summer courses have been offered at the MBL since its founding in 1888. Zoology was MBL’s first
course and it developed into Invertebrate Zoology in 1969, and then into Neural Systems and Behavior in
1978. Botany/Marine Botany ran each summer from 1891 to 1967. The Physiology and Embryology
courses are both more than 100 years old, having started in 1892 and 1893, respectively, running each
year since. MBL currently offers advanced, graduate-level courses in Embryology, Physiology,
Neurobiology, Neural Systems and Behavior, Microbial Diversity, Frontiers in Reproduction, and
Biology of Parasitism for six to eight weeks each summer. More specialized special topics courses (one to
four weeks in duration) are also offered during the spring, summer, and fall. Courses are held in the Loeb
building and are full-time pursuits, running all day and into the evenings. Students in MBL courses
(advanced graduate students, postdocs, and faculty) come from all over the world. Prominent guest
lecturers contribute to our courses each summer and often stay for several weeks. Course lectures are
open to EVERYONE in the MBL community, and summer investigators are encouraged to attend these
and to interact with course faculty and students.
For course schedules, see campus monitors and bulletin boards or visit: http://www.mbl.edu/education/
4
Evening lectures and seminars are sponsored by courses and centers and are open to the entire MBL
community. Summer Friday Evening Lectures (a 125-year tradition) are open to the general public as well.
(http://www.mbl.edu/events/categories/friday-evening-lecture/).
For information about MBL events and activities, visit: http://www.mbl.edu/calendar/
FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT
22. If I am not on the Meal Plan (Swope Dining Room) where can I eat on campus?
Café Swope is open Monday - Friday year-round, 7:30 AM - 1:30 PM (closed on MBL holidays) and is
located on the first floor of Swope. Cash and credit cards are accepted.
The Swope Dining Room, on the second floor of Swope, is open Monday - Saturday for breakfast, lunch
and dinner, and on Sunday for brunch only. For those not on the meal plan, individual meals or meal
cards (multiples of 5, 10 or 25 meals) can be purchased from the Sodexho cashier in the Dining Room
with cash or credit card. Unused meals on meal cards will expire at the end of the summer.
There are vending machines in the basement of Loeb and Lillie.
23. Where can I microwave my lunch?
There are microwaves in Lillie on the second floor (in break room between the Library and the
Microscopy Facility) and on the 4th floor of Rowe (outside conference room).
24. Where can I eat off campus?
There are diverse dining options in Woods Hole: Woods Hole Market & Provisions (deli sandwiches and
groceries), Captain Kidd, Phusion Grille, Shuckers, Fishmonger Café, Coffee Obsession, Pie in the Sky
(bakery), Jimmy’s Sandwich Shop, Landfall Restaurant (classic New England seafood), Quicks Hole
Tavern, and Quicks Hole Taqueria. Visit: http://www.woodshole.com/restaurants.html
25. Is there a TV on campus?
The TV in Café Swope is accessible Monday – Friday, 7:30 AM - 1:30 PM, when Café Swope is open.
The Captain Kidd Restaurant and Quicks Hole Tavern also have TVs in their bars.
26. MBL guest and alcohol policies:
MBL guest policies, including changing housing reservations, parking, pets, and alcohol use are found at:
http://www.mbl.edu/hr/staff-toolbox/marine-biological-laboratory-policy-manual/
27. What if I need medical attention?
 The Falmouth Hospital is close, located just off Route 28, less than a mile north of the center of
Falmouth: http://www.capecodhealth.org/hospitals-facilities/falmouth-hospital/

Falmouth Walk-In Medical Center, 309 Teaticket Highway, E. Falmouth 02536,
http://www.capetravelvaccine.com/ (Note: They don’t take out-of-state insurance, so you will
have to pay and get reimbursed by your insurance company.)
Please be aware that we do have the tick-borne Lyme Disease on Cape Cod, if you need more information,
visit: www.mass.gov/dph
28. Where can I get a bank account?
There is one bank in Woods Hole and several banks (Citizens, TD Bank, Bank of America, etc.) in
Falmouth. If you are a foreign national, only TD Bank in Falmouth will allow you to open a bank account.
This is situated close to the Walmart shopping center.
5
ENTERTAINMENT AND ACTIVITIES OFF-CAMPUS
29. Where are the nearest beaches and bicycle paths?
Stony Beach is a short walk from campus. Your MBL parking permit will allow you to park at the Stony
Beach parking lot. Swimming lessons are available at Stony Beach. Another beach, Nobska Beach, is
about 1.5 miles away. To get to Nobska Beach, leave Woods Hole on Woods Hole Road, and almost
immediately, turn right onto Church St., continue for about a mile and you are at a beautiful beach with a
picturesque lighthouse (Nobska Light).
For more information on Falmouth beaches, visit: http://www.oncape.com/beaches/Falmouth
You can bike on the Shining Sea Bike path (originating in the Steamship Authority parking lot in Woods
Hole) to the cottages, into Falmouth, and then for miles beyond. See this map of the 10.7-mile bike path:
http://www.woodshole.com/documents/bikewaymap.pdf
30. Is childcare available and what is there to do for families?
The MBL website describes activities and programs for children, including the summer recreational MBL
Club: http://www.mbl.edu/hr/childrens-programs/
Another private preschool in Woods Hole that is also highly recommended:
http://woodsholechildcenter.org/
For school age children, the outstanding 100 year old Woods Hole School of Science has many courses
and is a great way for children to learn science make friends: http://childrensschoolofscience.org/
Sailing lessons are offered by the Woods Hole Yacht Club: http://www.woodsholeyachtclub.org/
The town of Falmouth recreation department has a number of summer camps for children:
http://www.falmouthmass.us/depart.php?depkey=Rec
If you don’t have a car, you can take the Falmouth Transit Whoosh Trolley into Falmouth:
http://www.capecodtransit.org/whoosh-route.htm
Cape Cod and Falmouth are home to many music, theater, and artistic events during the summer:
http://www.arts-cape.com/fcg/
http://www.falmouthvisitor.com/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g41565-Activities-Falmouth_Cape_Cod_Massachusetts.html
There is a truly American summer baseball league for college level all-stars many of whom end up in on
major league teams. The Cape Cod Baseball league has a Falmouth team that plays at the Gus Canty
Recreation Center field in downtown Falmouth; donations accepted for admission:
http://www.capecodbaseball.org/
6