economic Impact Report 2025
–
If there’s one thing that we scientists Love, it’s good data.
At Bigelow Laboratory, we go to great lengths to gather solid, actionable data — traveling from the polar regions to the deepest recesses of the ocean. It’s worth it because good data tells a story. It can fuel discovery and challenge assumptions.
We’ve long known in our hearts and minds that our institution’s efforts to build, buy, contract, and hire within the great state of Maine makes a difference. But what we’ve been missing was hard data to prove it — so we hired Stepwise Data Research, a third party known for their objectivity and rigor, to help us quantify and tell that story.
We’re really happy with what this report tells us, and we’re proud to have such a positive economic impact in the place we call home.
Warmly,
Deborah A. Bronk
President & CEO
How Bigelow LABORATORY Boosts Maine’s Economy
BUSINESS OUTPUT
Our 2024 economic contribution was estimated at $36.1 million, including $14.7 million in earnings and 270 jobs.
2024 CONSTRUCTION
Construction of the Harold Alfond Center supported $15.8 million, including $5.4 million in earnings and 100 jobs.
VENDOR NETWORK
Our vendor network spans almost 100 individual Maine communities with $9.9 million in purchases from 2022 to 2024.
MEDIAN SALARY
The median full-time employee salary is $61,400, which is 60% higher than the median of Lincoln County where most live.
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is an independent nonprofit research institute in East Boothbay, Maine.
Our mission is to study the vital marine life that forms the foundation of global ocean health and apply what we learn to improve the future for all life on the planet. Most of this life is microscopic — like the tiny plants and animals, called plankton, that form the base of the food web — but some of it is large, like kelp and coral reefs.
Our vision is a world where scientific understanding of the ocean turns the tide on global challenges and unlocks the full potential of the ocean to support our society.
We study the foundations of global ocean health to unlock its potential to improve the future for all life on the planet. Through creative, cutting-edge science, our researchers and students help transform the ocean’s mysteries into discoveries and solutions for a brighter future.
Our research and education programs attract visitors and scientists from around the world, making our laboratory a hub of learning, discovery, and solutions and a valuable source of year-round economic activity in coastal Lincoln County.
Solid Growth in Staff and Spending IN 2024
Operational Spending in 2024
Operational Spending
Wages and Salaries
Full-Time Employees
Our direct contribution to Maine’s economy has grown in recent years as we’ve evolved and expanded our research and educational programs.
Since 2022, we have grown our staff by 12% and increased our operating budget by over $2.6 million, or 15%.
The Ripple Effect
TOTAL Operational Spending SUPPORTS in 2024
Output
$36.1 million
Total Contribution
Earnings*
$14.7 million
Total Contribution
Jobs
270
Total Contribution
As this direct spending rippled through the Maine economy, we generated an additional $16.4 million in indirect and induced spending by suppliers and employees, including $6.9 million in wages across 159 Maine-based jobs.
Since 2022, Bigelow Laboratory has increased its contribution to Maine’s economic output by about $5 million and to its earnings by over $3 million. The number of direct and indirect jobs we support has risen by 30.
*Earnings are included in output.
–
25,500 Square Feet with a Statewide Footprint
The construction of the Harold Alfond Center for Ocean Education and Innovation is a game changer for our education programs and solutions-focused work. It also turbocharged our economic impact while we were building it.
In 2024, $10.4 million of direct spending related to the construction of the center supported $15.8 million in business output, including $5.4 million in earnings and 100 job-years.
Including this temporary, new-building spending in our 2024 economic contribution yields a total contribution of $51.9 million in business output, including $20.1 million in earnings and 370 jobs.
With construction now complete, the building bump may be over, but the utilization of the new laboratories, dedicated classroom space, and 300-seat forum will yield lasting economic impacts for years to come.
A Magnet for Human Capital
BIGELOW LABORATORY EMPLOYEES IN 2024
Full-Time Laboratory Employees
Towns of Residence in Maine
Employee Wages Earned
Employees with BA/BS Degree
Employees with PhD Degrees
As a global ocean science institute, we draw scientists from around the world to the shores of the midcoast. Our employees are young, well-educated, and bring new ideas and energy to Maine. They are also paid well above state and regional averages.
BROAD VENDOR NETWORK
SUPPORT OF MAINE-BASED VENDORS FROM 2022-2024
Amount of Goods and Services Purchased
Vendors Located Throughout the State of Maine
Maine Communities Currently in Vendor Network
Our laboratory draws a large amount of national funding to Maine and distributes it across multitudes of vendors in 100 different communities throughout the state.
The NExt Generation of Ocean Leaders
The scientific, economic, and environmental challenges of tomorrow will require people with the right skills, tools, and ideas to tackle them.
Our education programs attract students, educators, and workers from all over the world. In the last three years, we’ve welcomed 469 learners to our campus. These visitors included high school and college students, researchers, and professionals, learning about everything from ocean science basics to algae taxonomy and bioinformatics.
BLOOM Educators from Maine
Sea Change Semester Students
Keller BLOOM Program Participants
REU Internship Students
Professional Development Courses
Keller BLOOM
One-week ocean science curriculum for Maine high school students.
BLOOM Educators
Four-day ocean science experience for educators located in Maine.
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)
Ten-week marine research internship for undergraduate students. Students conduct independent research with guidance from a scientist mentor.
Professional Development Courses
Skill development for working professionals across multiple disciplines. Topics include Algal Culture Techniques, Introduction to Aquatic Flow Cytometry, Harmful Algal Taxonomy, and more.
Sea Change Semester
Semester-long program for undergraduate students interested in careers in ocean science.
Students live on-site at our campus, leading independent investigations into the questions they want to answer.
They enjoy exclusive access to a state-of-the-art laboratory and conduct research cruises in the Gulf of Maine.
The personalized education program gives students broad exposure to career options and helps them develop a professional network.
Waves of Visitors Every Year
Every year, we attract hundreds of visitors to the region for educational programs and other events. Recent visitors hailed from across the country and around the world.
Between 2022 and 2024, almost 2,400 visitors attended an event at Bigelow Laboratory.
The biggest draw was our summer Café Sci series, which are educational talks led by our researchers on our science, discoveries, solutions, and the issues facing the world’s oceans.
While the economic contribution of visitors is not quantified in this report, it is large. Visitors support significant economic activities in the region through their spending on restaurants, hotels, transportation, and recreation. An estimated 44% of our visitors came from beyond Maine.
LOOKING TO GO DEEPER?
Download the complete report, including a full methodology breakdown, definitions of terms, and endnotes. You can also download a printable, one-page summary this page here.