We still have fundraiser tickets! And don't miss out on the last lecture of the season!
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A common loon (Gavia immer)
photo by PTMSC Volunteer Wendy Feltham
Octopress Online March 2026
TIDES OF MARCH 2026: MAKE WAVES!
a benefit for the Port Townsend Marine Science Center
Saturday, March 21
5 p.m.
The Commons at Fort Worden
Dive into an evening of delicious dinner, drinks, curious minds, marine science play, and a joyful paddle raise. Come Make Waves! In support of the Salish Sea.
Our lectureseries, The Future of Oceans, draws on the commitment of professional researchers and educators across all academic spectrums to help define and inspire the health of our oceans.
Dungeness Crab in the Salish Sea:
The Power of Collaborative Research
Presentation by
Emily Buckner
Sunday, March 29
3 p.m.
Wheeler Theater
at Fort Worden Historical State Park
Many natural resources lack essential biological data, leaving fisheries vulnerable to environmental change and threatening ecosystems and livelihoods. We examine how the Pacific Northwest Crab Research Group (PCRG) advances management of Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) in the Salish Sea through a collaborative, stakeholder-driven approach. Its larval monitoring network—uniting tribal, state, and federal partners, NGOs, academics, and communities—has produced the region’s first standardized data set on Dungeness crab larval dynamics, informing management, education, and new research. PCRG’s success highlights cooperative networks as a powerful model for managing data-poor fisheries worldwide.
Emily Buckner facilitates research and partnerships in her role as the program manager for the Pacific Northwest Crab Research Group, a large collaborative research network advancing knowledge on local Dungeness crab populations to inform sustainable management. She also works on restorative mariculture projects, with a focus on seaweed, co-leading the Sea-Land program with Hannah Garfield. Emily is a graduate of Carleton College and the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington.
Check out local radio show Nature Now's interview with Emily Buckner on "Baby Dungeness Crabs and Light Traps"
To keep this lectureseries accessible to all, regardless of the ability to pay, there is no set charge for these lecture events; however, donations are always welcomed and appreciated.
Thanks to the Darrow Family for their ongoing support
SUMMER CAMPS ARE FILLING UP!
At PTMSC, our summer day camps allow burgeoning young scientists and adventurers to spend a week exploring beaches, uncovering treasures hidden in our exhibits, playing games, making crafts, and hiking through beautiful Fort Worden State Park.
Camps are offered for ages 6-14.
Join us for a wet, sandy, adventurous, fun-filled week!
Join us for our free community gatherings in which people with repair skills share their time and talents to fix their neighbors’ belongings.
Bring your toaster that no longer toasts, sweater with a hole in the elbow, and excitement to get these belongings repaired while also learning how they did it and ways you could do it yourself next time!
Limit of 2 items per person. If you know the specific part needed to repair your item, we ask that you bring it along. Look at the following events to learn more.
It’s National Cleaning week! Empty out your art drawers and pick up new things you can create with! Bring your used/languishing art supplies and materials to pass along for a new life – or come find new crafty treasures.
Drop off items between 10:00-11:00am; everything left at 3:00pm will be disposed of or donated.
No hazardous material or large equipment, please.
COMMUNITY TOOL LIBRARY
Become a Tool Library member and gain access to over 500 tools ... from saws to kitchen gadgets!
PTMSC invites you to join our dive into a variety of marine related topics! Get lost in titles that bring the evocative sea right to you. Through communication and connection, we can explore the ways in which the ocean intertwines us all.
Meet: Once per month to openly discuss each title.
Food & Drinks: Grab a treat and a drink from Aldrich’s, then make your way upstairs.
Where: Aldrich’s Mezzanine (2nd floor) 940 Lawrence St, Port Townsend, WA 98368
NEXT MEETING:
Spying on Whales:
The Past, Present, and Future of Earth’s Most Awesome Creatures
This family-friendly traveling exhibit explores the vital worlds of kelp forests just off our shores, highlighting the beauty and critical importance of this ecosystem in the Salish Sea.
This is a combination 3D experience of a bull kelp forest and its creatures, with 7 illustrated interpretive panels, video and sound. The exhibit is suitable for all ages.
Imagine yourself immersed in the fascinating world of a bull kelp forest inhabited by rockfish, anemones, sea stars, and urchins, where harbor seals, orcas, salmon and tufted puffins come to visit, and many other species thrive. This family-friendly 3D exhibit will inspire you to think about the complex structure of this vital nearshore environment and what we need to do to keep our kelp forests healthy for all of us.
Here you can pretend you’re underwater, face to face with all the stunning creatures living in these waters! Learn about the crucial role kelp forests play in our ecosystem, and what actions you can take to help our kelp!
Original mural artwork by Timbul Cahyono. 3D creatures crafted by Mariah Vane. Andrew Whiteman developed and designed this exhibit.
This exhibit is funded in part by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. We also credit Puget Sound Restoration Fund for generous use of assets.
There is no admission fee, though donations are always welcome.
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