Discover Maine’s undersea world
By Andrea Lani
BEYOND MAINE’S shoreline lies a vast and mysterious world. Despite the sandy beaches and rocky cliffs that draw millions of locals and visitors to Maine’s coast every summer, few of us, aside from a handful of intrepid commercial and recreational divers, get a chance to experience life beneath the waves. Yet the undersea realm is diverse, complex and essential to the Maine way of life.
The body of water that lies off our shores is called the Gulf of Maine. Somewhat larger in surface area than the State of Maine, the gulf stretches from Cape Cod in the south to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in the north, with the relatively shallow areas of the Nantucket Shoals, Georges Bank and Browns Bank forming a barrier between the gulf and the open ocean. The gulf ’s seabed is made up of a complex landscape of deep basins and valleys, undersea mountains and shallow ledges. Fed by 60 rivers, mixed by vast tides (the Bay of Fundy’s tidal range of more than 50 feet is largest in the world) and shielded from the warm Gulf Stream, the water of the gulf is cold and rich in nutrients.
That cold, nutrient-rich water and varied seafloor make the region an attractive environment for a wide array of marine life. More than 3,000 species make their home in the Gulf of Maine, from microscopic plankton to 50-foot whales. The enchanted kelp forests of Cashes Ledge, which are the most productive in the North Atlantic, teem with mussels and other invertebrates and schools of fish. Marshes and saltwater estuaries along the coast provide feeding grounds and nurseries for a range of birds, fish and invertebrates. Maine’s coastal communities were built on the fisheries born of the rich ecosystems of the gulf.
A family discovers the wonders of the intertidal zone with Coast Encounters. PHOTO: CAROL STEINGART
As vast and abundant as the Gulf of Maine may seem to us as we stand on shore or sail a boat across the waves, the entire system is vulnerable to human-caused climate change and other pressures. Over the last hundred years, the temperature of the gulf’s surface water has risen 2-3 degrees Fahrenheit, making the gulf’s waters among the fastest-warming ocean regions in the world. Sea level rise in the gulf is also about 3-4 times greater than the global average, fueling an increase in the frequency of high tides that exceed flood stage and greater storm surges. Among the wildlife species that depend on the gulf, at least 30 are at risk of becoming extinct.
These include the Roseate Tern, a lovely little sea bird that’s listed as endangered, and the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale, of which only about 360 individuals remain in existence. Learning about the majestic world beneath the waves off our shores is the first step we can all take toward caring for the Gulf of Maine. You don’t have to don SCUBA gear and plunge into the cold waters off our coast to experience life in the ocean. Aquariums, museums and other venues offer a wealth of opportunities to get to know this undersea realm and a few of the creatures that call it home, through excursions, touch tanks and other interactive learning opportunities. While some of these facilities are geared toward children, some have adultfocused programming, and most include activities that appeal to all ages. Visit one or more of these to get started on your journey of discovering Maine’s marine ecosystem.
Southern Maine
Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine
Experience the interconnectedness of our water systems as you explore an entire watershed in the From the Mountains to the Sea exhibit at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine. Starting from a mountain lake, traveling down a river, and splashing into the ocean, see how every drop eventually flows to the sea. Along the way, get a close look at Maine’s aquatic life in aquarium tanks at each stage, from freshwater fish, frogs and turtles to sea stars, hermit crabs and sea anemones. (Website)
250 Thompsons Point Road, Portland
Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
A young tidepooler gets to know a sea urchin on a Coast Encounters excursion. PHOTO: CAROL STEINGART
Coast Encounters
Discover the vibrant ecosystem between the tides on a guided, 3-hour excursion into the intertidal zone with Coastal Carol. Peer under rocks and seaweed while learning to identify intertidal species, discovering what makes this habitat unique, and becoming a steward of the shoreline. Excursions are geared for adults and children ages 7 and up; be prepared for a lot of bending, squatting and walking over slippery rocks. (Website)
Wells, Kennebunk and Ogunquit, with other locations on request
Excursions begin 2 hours before low tide, mid-May through mid-October
Midcoast
A visitor examines a handful of sea stars at the Maine State Aquarium. PHOTO: MAINE STATE AQUARIUM
Maine State Aquarium and Gulf of Maine Learning Lab
Pique your curiosity and build a connection with Maine’s ocean ecosystem at the Gulf of Maine Discovery Center. Operated by the Department of Marine Resources (DMR), the Discovery Center includes the Maine State Aquarium and Gulf of Maine Learning Lab, as well as Burnt Island, an island about a mile offshore with a historic lighthouse and education center. The aquarium will reopen on June 26, after having been closed since 2020 for repairs and renovations. In addition to revisiting old favorites, like the spiny dogfish sharks and giant lobsters, you can experience new exhibits, including two 1,300-gallon tanks of local marine species, a remodeled touch tank designed as a tide pool among rocky cliffs, a moon jelly tank, a model of a working waterfront, the aft end of a working lobster boat, a 26-foot minke whale skeleton and a lab area with microscopes and interactive displays about DMR research. Next door to the aquarium, immerse yourself in the ecology of Maine’s ocean waters at the Gulf of Maine Learning Lab. Witness the research DMR’s scientists are conducting through interactive, hands-on experiences, a microscope room, and theater. This summer, discover more about the sharks of the Gulf of Maine at a special shark exhibit in the Learning Lab. (Website)
McKown Point Road, West Boothbay Harbor
Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., June 26 through Labor Day
Young explorers get a peek at life off the dock during a recent open house. PHOTO: BIGELOW LABORATORY FOR OCEAN SCIENCES
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Take a deep dive into marine ecosystems and ocean health through a range of educational opportunities provided by the researchers at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. While construction of an education center will modify the lab’s public offerings this summer, the new space will be able to host larger groups in the future, and the annual Open House will resume in July 2025. In the meantime, discover the world beneath the waves through Bigelow’s free Café Sci presentations, where researchers speak on a range of marine science topics. For more informal talks on the undersea community, join Bigelow post-doctoral students for Ocean on Tap at the Footbridge Brewery in Boothbay Harbor. (Website)
Café Sci:
Boothbay Harbor Opera House, 86 Townsend Avenue, Boothbay Harbor
Tuesdays at 5 p.m., July 16 through August 6
Ocean on Tap:
Footbridge Brewery, 25 Granary Way, Boothbay Harbor
3rd Thursday of the month, 6-7 p.m.
Beachcomber’s Discovery Center
Turn a trip to the beach into an opportunity to learn about marine life and the interconnectedness of the land and the sea in the Beachcomber’s Discovery Center at Pemaquid Beach Park. Operated in partnership with Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust, this interactive space includes exhibits on intertidal creatures and the little fish known as mummichogs and a sand table where you can dig for ancient marine fossils. Attend a naturalist-led workshop or nature program, and don’t miss Touch Tank Thursdays, when you can get hands-on with a variety of saltwater life. (Website)
Pemaquid Beach Park, New Harbor
Wednesday through Sunday, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., June through August
Touch Tank Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
The Coastal Children’s Museum’s undersea puppet theater ready for visitors to put on a show. COURTESY PHOTO
Coastal Children’s Museum
Experience life in the sea at the Coastal Children’s Museum. In the Adventure Park and Fishing Village, haul in the day’s catch of lobster, care for sick critters in the coastal wildlife veterinary clinic and put on a show in the undersea puppet theater. Cap off a day of exploration and connect with marine critters in the museum’s touch tank. (Website)
75 Mechanic Street, Rockland
Thursday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Downeast
Visitors learn how caught lobsters are measured with a gauge at the touch tank. Discovery Wharf at MCCF. COURTESY PHOTO
Discovery Wharf at Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries
Get to know the ecosystem and watershed of Downeast Maine and our place in the history of resilient coastal communities at the Discovery Wharf at Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries. The newly expanded facility includes hands-on elements for all ages, including a marine touch tank brimming with sea creatures and a new exhibit where kids can operate parts of a fishing boat. An interactive touch wall allows you to locate and learn about ocean species along the Downeast coast, a virtual reality station gives you an immersion experience aboard a fishing vessel, and an interactive movie theater brings the history of Maine to life. (Website)
13 Atlantic Avenue, Stonington
Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., May 24 through October 12
The Oceanarium and Education Center
Learn about ocean ecology and get inspired to keep exploring the marine environment at the Oceanarium and Education Center. Observe undersea life from the Gulf of Maine in nine aquarium tanks that display lobsters, lumpfish, crabs, anemone, horseshoe crabs, fin fish, sea cucumbers and other creatures of the deep. Marvel at the juvenile humpback whale skeleton, hold marine creatures in your hands in the touch pool, and witness the development of young lobsters in the lobster hatchery. Then head outside to climb aboard the playground boat and investigate the 20-acre tidal marsh. (Website)
1351 ME Route 3, Bar Harbor
Open daily, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., June through August Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., May, September and October
A College of the Atlantic student demonstrates the size difference between two whale skulls. PHOTO: DORR MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Dorr Museum of Natural History
Explore the natural history of Mount Desert Island and gain an appreciation of ocean life at the Dorr Museum at College of the Atlantic. Study dioramas of coastal wildlife like seals and seabirds, take a close look at massive whale skeletons and skulls, and get hands-on with sea stars, hermit crabs and other marine life in the tide pool tank. (Website)
105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor
Summer hours Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Dive-In Theater with Diver Ed
Join Diver Ed and his crew on a two-hour excursion on Frenchman Bay aboard the Starfish Enterprise and go home with a deeper understanding of and love for the ocean. Experience the underwater world through real-time video as Ed goes overboard and explores the sea floor, and hold in your hands marine life like starfish, crabs and scallops that Ed brings up from the murky depths. (Website)
COA Pier, 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor
Saturday through Monday, 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., June 19 through September 2
Wabanaki Culture Center
Experience the ocean world and learn about Wabanaki culture, art and history at the Wabanaki Culture Center. Interactive exhibits bring to life the tides of Passamaquoddy Bay, the migratory routes of fish and marine mammals, traditional fishing techniques and the ecology of the Gulf of Maine. Interact with sea life in the touch tank, and immerse yourself in the beauty of the ocean through the building’s architecture, including an expansive view of the St. Croix River, a school of fish swimming overhead and a swirl of blue flooring that forms a river beneath your feet. (Website)
39 Union Street, Calais
Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Marine science in the classroom
To engage the younger generation in marine ecology and stewardship, many organizations in Maine bring ocean science programs into schools or invite students and school groups into their facilities.
The Gulf of Maine Discovery Center hosts field trips at the Maine State Aquarium, the Gulf of Maine Learning Lab and Burnt Island.
The Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Science provides research opportunities for high school and undergraduate students as well as professional development for Maine educators so they can bring marine sciences into their classrooms.
The Dorr Museum of Natural History hosts school groups for museum visits, natural history explorations and whale ecology programs.
Chewonki provides traveling natural history programs to schools and other organizations, including two that educate about sea life: Fins and Flippers, an introduction to Maine’s marine mammals, and Tide Pools, which brings a touch tank to you.
Through Saltwater Classroom, students experience a week-long immersion in oceanography, marine biology and coastal ecology with lessons, experiments, field excursions and creative projects.
Maine fifth- and sixth-grade students have the opportunity to learn about the dynamic and changing ecosystem of the Gulf of Maine through hands-on experiments hosted by Lab Venture at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.
The University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center offers workshops for high school students, as well as internships, field trips and a Semester by the Sea for undergraduates.
On the cover: Sebago Lake is a giant among Maine’s lakes and the deepest, too. With coves and forested inlets and opportunities to sail, angle, swim and camp, the lakes region is a favorite for summer adventures.