Marinostat Building - Lawrence Blinks Laboratory

In 1960, Stanford received a $225,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to

refurbish and expand facilities at Hopkins Marine Station. Much of the money was directed to the  construction of the Marinostat, which would enable scientists to study live specimens for longer periods of time due to specialized equipment that allowed for control of temperature, light and salinity of the sea-water tanks and aquaria. (“Expansion at Hopkins Station,” Stanford Daily (8 November 1960).¹

In 1963,  the construction of the Marinostat Building was completed. At the time the building houed two large laboratories, nine smaller research rooms, and five dark laboratories, some equipped for experimental temperature and light regimes. All laboratories are supplied with running seawater. The courtyard adjacent to the Blinks Lab contains large concrete pools with running seawater suitable for experimental work.²  As described retired Hopkins staff, Chris Patton, the Marinostat building had hot and cold running seawater rooms that could be set to custom settings. Epel lab could keep urchins in breeding condition year round. A big plus when using a seasonal species. 

Also, the ability to run fresh sea water into the tanks and to keep the water colder than surface temperature levels enabled students and scientists to study deep water animals. Other new facilities included a greenhouse, several shallow outdoor pools and additional sea-water storage tanks. (“Expansion at Hopkins Station,” Stanford Daily (8 November 1960).³

By 1978 the Marinostat building had been renamed the Blinks Laboratory, in honor of late director of Hopkins Marine Station, Lawrence Blinks. From 1989 through 2000, Dennis Powers, a pioneer in the development of integrative biology,  served as the Station’s director. During these years his laboratory research team was located in the Blinks Laboratory building.Stephen Palumbi was next to maintain a laboratory in the building beginning in 2004. From 2008 through 2018, Palumbi served as  the Station’s director.

In addition to the Marinostat Building, other new facilities included a greenhouse, several shallow outdoor pools and additional sea-water storage tanks. The remaining $50,000 was used to upgrade the Agassiz Laboratory, installing new floors, ceilings, pipes and lighting, plus painting, fireproofing and waterproofing. 

References

1. (“Expansion at Hopkins Station,” Stanford Daily (8 November 1960).

2. Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, (brochure), 1984.

3. (“Expansion at Hopkins Station,” Stanford Daily (8 November 1960).