The original story, which includes additional images, is available on the website for the William & Mary’s Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. – Ed.

A flooding delay didn’t prevent the public from flocking to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s Eastern Shore Laboratory in Wachapreague on Sept. 21 for Marine Life Day, the lab’s free, annual open house.

Within the waterfront Seawater Lab, William & Mary Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences researchers, students and volunteers introduced a record number of attendees to a broad spectrum of marine science experiences. 

In one corner, visitors could see a juvenile sandbar shark patrolling its temporary pool. Next to the shark was a dissection station, where Batten School Ph.D. student Miguel Montalvo and University of Chicago Ph.D. student Olivia Guerra spent all three hours of the event precisely deconstructing a billfish, teaching wide-eyed observers about fish anatomy. 

Other exhibits included simulations for shark tagging and crab health inspections, sediment sieving, aquaria featuring local organisms and an array of microscopes revealing the microscopic world of marine ecosystems, among many other displays.

Yet the most popular station, judging by the youngest attendees’ exclamations, was the long touch tank that stretched through the middle of the lab space. There, brave participants could touch live scallops, oysters, sponges, urchins, crabs and more. 

“It was great. They loved the touch tank and the microscopes,” said Rebecca McNair, an attendee from Exmore who brought her three young children. “We came last year, but they’re older now and can take different things from it. We appreciate it, because they get to learn new things every year.” 

With Marine Life Day now in its 11th year, ESL Director Richard Snyder is proud of how much the event has evolved over the years.

“Marine Life Day started relatively small, but we pretty quickly brought it up to this level,” he said. “This is our premier public event for the year, and we put a lot of effort into setting up displays of all the living creatures.” 

Among the wide swath of topics represented, this year had a special focus on shellfish aquaculture, including various displays, exhibits and activities.

“With shellfish aquaculture being such a contributor to the Virginia economy, I think it’s important to educate people on all aspects and angles of the industry,” said Castagna Shellfish Research Hatchery Manager Reba Turner Smith. 

Turner Smith and Nursery Manager Darian Kelley provide leadership in planning and executing Marine Life Day, along with their colleagues and other volunteers.

“We’re a relatively small staff,” said Kelley, “but everyone is really focused and hands-on collecting the organisms, creating the displays and getting everything set up for the day.” 

All that effort is invested with a unifying purpose: to educate and inspire the public with marine science.

“I hope that kids who attend see that being a marine scientist is more than studying dolphins,” said ESL Assistant Director Stacy Krueger-Hadfield. “Events like this show the breadth and diversity of the work and the people who do this as a job, whether it’s education and outreach, research or teaching.” 

Those sentiments were shared by Xander Geragotelis, a Batten School M.S. student and Marine Life Day volunteer.

“I’m excited for the scientific outreach aspect of the event, which is something I’m interested in doing with my degree,” he said. “I hope the kids know that when they grow up, they can be scientists and research anything in the wider world of marine science.”

This year, more than 530 visitors attended Marine Life Day, a record for the event. ESL staff then utilized the setup to reach nearly 150 additional local elementary school students and chaperones during field trips throughout the subsequent week. The popularity of this year’s event reflects the quality experiences that bring participants back year after year. 

As they exited the Seawater Lab, several visitors were already expressing excitement for next year’s Marine Life Day. Tito Romero, a resident of Cape Charles who attended with his wife and two children, said, “We very much appreciate VIMS offering this. As long as you keep having it, we’ll keep coming back.”