History

A series of meetings, conferences, and publications in the early 1960s pointed to the need for inland (non-marine based) biological stations to come together and discuss common goals. These were chronicled in the first newsletter of the newly formed Organization of Inland Biological Stations OIBFS. The first official meeting took place in 1966 at the University of Minnesota's Cedar Creek Natural History Area (now the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve). Continued discussions over the next two years led to the official formation of the Organization of Biological Field Stations in 1968. Stations would be welcome from both North America and around the world.

Initially, the Organization of Biological Field Stations name included the word “Inland” to distinguish itself from marine and oceanographic laboratories; at that time, the Organization of Inland Biological Field Stations included 34 charter members. The name was shortened to the Organization of Biological Field Stations a few years later when several marine stations became members. The Organization of Biological Field Stations' sister organization, the National Association of Marine Laboratories or NAML, was established in 1990 with similar goals for marine-focused facilities. Many coastal and marine stations now belong to both. As of 2023, Organization of Biological Field Stations membership includes more than 230 sites located in 20 countries on six continents. 

A detailed history of OBFS can be found in Stacy A. McNulty, David White, Mary Hufty, Paul Foster 2017. The Organization of Biological Field Stations at Fifty. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. Volume 98, Issue 4,  Pp 359-373.