Scientific Research
Marine Animal Microbiomes
Non-culturable Microorganisms
The Osborn Labs at the New York Aquarium have a rich marine heritage, including William Beebe’s unprecedented bathysphere dive to 3,028 feet in 1934. Aquarium Director Dr. Paul Boyle focused the Lab’s research on Coral Ecosystems, Marine Mammals, and Conservation, with projects to advance coral aquaculture, save endangered fish, probe dolphin intelligence, and analyze animal microbiomes.
The Aquarium labs built collaborations with scientists at Columbia, Rutgers, and Yale universities, Hunter and Brooklyn colleges, and others throughout the region.
Informal Science Education Research
Projects Include:
“Alien Stingers” - NSF Grant - Interactive Exhibit
“Thinking About Dolphins Thinking” – IMLS Grant
“Discovery Cove” – Interactive Exhibit
“Stars of the Sea” – Interactive Exhibit
“Sharks Alive”– Interactive Exhibit
“Seahorses” – Interactive Exhibit
“Glover’s Reef“ – A Reef for Brooklyn
U.S. aquariums and zoos serve 200 million visitors a year. While an assumption prevailed that little education occurred in museums, the NY Aquarium and colleagues began researching visitor learning in the informal settings of aquariums and zoos.
The New York Aquarium mounted a series of exhibits to study informal science education in action. This research showed that learning occurs and, more importantly, that repeat visits allow small experiences to grow into a broad understanding of science concepts. This work underscored the transformative role of museums in building public informal science education, a point later affirmed by the National Academies of Sciences.