VISION / MISSION

NCMA’s Vision is to be an instantly recognizable, trusted global leader in the provision of algae, protozoa, and bacteria, together with related products for academic researchers, corporations, and commercial ventures, and be widely recognized for comprehensive, first class customer service and intellectual capability. 

NCMA’s Mission is to serve as a central bioresource facility whose core activity is to receive, maintain, and distribute living cultures of marine and freshwater algae, protozoa, and bacteria; to provide technical expertise and services; and to provide educational resources for culture isolation and curation to scientists, educators, biomedical researchers, and businesses worldwide.

 NCMA’s Status is a service center of Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization conducting research ranging from microbial oceanography to large-scale ocean processes that affect the global environment. Income derived from federal grants, culture fees, and services supports the functions of NCMA’s mission. The U.S. Congress has designated the NCMA as the official phytoplankton collection for the nation. NCMA is located in the Norton Center for Ocean Microbiome and Blue Biotechnology on the Bigelow Laboratory’s new Ocean Science and Education Campus.