Ocean Explorers make connections to the sea

By Ethan Forman | Staff Writer

Gloucester Daily Times

June 11, 2025

About 25 fifth-graders from the Plum Cove Elementary School in Lanesville set sail aboard Schooner Ardelle and got to see a dogfish and a horseshoe crab up close in a large aquarium tank on Tuesday, June 10, in a day of marine science programing at Maritime Gloucester on Harbor Loop.

Later in the day, the students took part in a small graduation ceremony as they finished up their participation in Maritime Gloucester’s Ocean Explorers program, now in its 21st year.

Ocean Explorers is Maritime Gloucester’s foundational program offering marine science programming, and it has been part of the organization since 2004, according to Maritime Gloucester’s

website.

The program enables Maritime Gloucester to share its resources with kids in this seaside community, providing easy access to boats, scientific equipment or settings like touch tanks stocked with marine animals where kids can learn hands-on.

Plum Cove 5th Graders their final day at MG after 3 years of programming

This school year, Ocean Explorers taught each third, fourth and fifth-grade class in Gloucester, Rockport, and Manchester Essex Regional in the fall and spring, having them take part in hands-on marine and physical science activities, both in their classrooms, at Maritime Gloucester, and aboard the Ardelle.

This school year, 668 students from Gloucester took part in Ocean Explorers, Maritime Gloucester Executive Director Michael De Koster said.

In all, 1,046 students from Cape Ann came through the program this year. Since its inception, Ocean Explorers has schooled more than 13,500 Gloucester students in marine science education.

The program is much more than a field trip and is part of the classroom educational experience. Maritime Gloucester has up to six interactions with students over the course of the academic year both in the classrooms, at Maritime Gloucester and at sea, De Koster said.

“This is part of our experiential hands-on learning curriculum which works really well with what the school is doing as well,” he said. Maritime Gloucester raises the money to pay for the programming.

De Koster explained that for the past week, every fifth-grade class in Gloucester has come through Maritime Gloucester and sailed on the Ardelle, after which they take part in a graduation ceremony. Plum Cove’s fifth-graders were the last to graduate on Tuesday.

With the weather looking iffy Tuesday morning, one large group instead of two smaller groups headed out aboard the Ardelle for a “science at sea” sail around 9:30 a.m. to Ten Pound Island. The sail combined a second group sail that had been planned for 11:30 a.m.

Fifth-grader Helen Larabell said she liked sailing around Ten Pound Island.

“It was really fun to see all the birds and just all the scenery,” she said.

Aquarium Manager and Educator Alexa Leanos shows fascinated students a horseshoe crab at the Sea Pocket Aquarium tanks

Later, back at Maritime Gloucester, the kids took in a large tank with flounder, mackerel, a dogfish, a young skate and a horseshoe crab.

Aquarium Manager Alexa Leanos held up the horseshoe crab for the students so they could see its underbelly.

“I think it’s really cool,” said Rayssa Catalunha, 11, about the horseshoe crab, which she said kind of scared her with its spidery arms and long, whip-like tail.

“I think it’s really fun,” she said about the Ocean Explorers program, “and more people should know about.”

Nellie Pinkham, 10, has been to Maritime Gloucester before, and she likes that there is a dogfish in the tank.

“I think they are really good,” she said about the Ocean Explorers program, “and they really help me learn about the fish and the ocean.”

“It’s a great program,” Leanos said, “to share with these kids of what’s happening in their waters right outside, not all of them get to see a lot of these animals that live offshore,” especially sharks and flounders you can’t see in a tide pool at the beach.

The students who graduated Tuesday were part of Plum Cove fifth-grade teachers Grace Scola’s and Kerrie Donahue’s classes.

Scola, a 30-year teacher, said she loves Ocean Explorers. It’s something she has participated in for years.

“It adds to the curriculum,” she said. “They tie in a lot of science that is standards-based and a lot of hands-on things we need. It gives a connection to the kids with the community, you know, the fishing community, that is dwindling that is really important for this generation to know about … We don’t want to lose that history.”

To support Maritime and Marine Education, and continue the work of the Ocean Explorers programs into 2026, please consider making a donation today. This program is currently seeking funds to continue to provide these great services for the elementary students of Cape Ann and beyond. We are currently out of funds to provide this program in 2026. Please consider donating HERE