Bimini Biological Field Station

The Bimini Biological Field Station Foundation (BBFSF), commonly known as the Shark Lab, is a nonprofit research and education center founded in 1990 by Dr. Samuel Gruber on South Bimini. Its mission is to deepen our understanding of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) and their role in marine ecosystems through cutting-edge field and lab studies, educate future generations of marine scientists, and raise public awareness to support conservation efforts.

What They Do BBFSF conducts comprehensive research in areas such as molecular and behavioral ecology, physiology, sensory biology, and conservation—with ongoing long-term studies on species like lemon sharks and great hammerhead sharks. The station offers internships and university-level programs, allowing students to design and execute their own research under expert mentorship. Additionally, they host shark lab tours (by appointment only), workshops, speaker events, conferences, and classroom courses.

How You Can Help Supporters can contribute through donations, “Adopt a Shark” programs, lab shop purchases, or by sponsoring acoustic tags for tagged sharks. Interns and volunteers are critical to the station’s work—helping to collect data, maintain field operations, tag sharks, and more. Interested individuals can apply to volunteer, intern, sponsor tags, or plan a visit or educational tour via their website.

Interested in supporting BBFSF? Donate here

Looking for a tour? Find contact information here