The main laboratory area of CBL is used primarily for undergraduate research and course projects. The equipments include:

• Habitats - There are stabilized marine habitats to accommodate fresh water, warm salt water, and cold salt water marine life. Specifically there are tanks which simulate the conditions of the North Atlantic and South Pacific Ocean, and fresh water lakes. Maintaining stabilized tanks is essential in semester-long projects since some of the tanks require up to six months to stabilize.
• Flow simulators - Flow tanks and wind tunnels are used to investigate fluid flow around biological systems, such as sea anemones and trees. The liquid flow tank can accommodate fresh water or salt water, and speeds typically found in nature (under 0.5 mph) are attainable. The small wind tunnel, equipped with smoke generator, is ideal for studying airflow around objects for moderate air speeds. Large gales can be simulated by a larger wind tunnel to study how trees react to wind drag.
• Data Acquisition Equipment - Various data acquisition equipment are available for complete analysis of the fluid flow and heat transfer. Of particular interest are flow speeds, stresses and cross-sectional areas (which relate to drag force), and temperature. Advanced video equipment and image analysis are used for flow visualization.
• SCUBA - Full sets of SCUBA equipment are available to dive locally in order to collect samples or to video tape organisms in their natural environment. A SCUBA class for certification is available every Fall semester for students at a local diving shop.

The Spectral Research Laboratory concentrates on the study of optical and radiative properties of surfaces and thin film structures. It houses the Microscale Reflectance Spectrometer (Micro-RS) and an Integrating Sphere, which are used to measure the spectral reflectivities of patterned surfaces of various length scales. Samples studied include biological thin films (insect scales), semiconductors (Si at high temperature), and patterned surfaces (Si wafer with patterns).

The laboratory is also developing microscale rapid prototyping techniques using UV curing polymers. The project began as a part of Summer 1999 Research Experience for Undergraduates program. Currently, a prototyping equipment involving microscope, UV light source, and a computer-controlled XYZ stage is under development.

The Gourmet Engineering Laboratory was developed as an undergraduate laboratory area for the first-year elective course, Gourmet Engineering. The course's goal is to teach heat transfer principles to students through a familiar venue, the kitchen. The laboratory experiments focus on the heat tranfer in and around foods during cooking, and students work in teams to solve problems and to design innovative solutions. The course web site contains supplementary lab material and interactive software. The laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art kitchen appliances, donated by Fridigaire, Calphalon, and Revereware. This course and laboratory are part of a larger effort to Combine Research and Curriculum in the Area of Thermal Manufacturing, sponsored by the National Science Foundation.