In 1899, Flathead Lake Biological Station (FLBS) established near Bigfork in 1899 by Dr. Morton J. Elrod, Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of Montana, is one of the oldest active biological field research stations in the United States.

The Station was moved to Yellow Bay in 1908. Since its founding, students from all over the world have visited the station to learn about biology. By 1977, year-round research was being conducted at the Morton J. Elrod Laboratory, and in 1981 with the construction of the state-of-the-art Schoonover Freshwater Research Laboratory, the Flathead Lake Biological Station became one of the finest freshwater research facilities in the country.