Support Our Aquarium Capital Campaign

The nature of this island is rapidly changing – the climate is impacting sea levels and infrastructure. Nantucket has invested heavily in coastal resiliency planning identifying 17 immediate priorities across the island including Washington Street. If we do nothing, the sea level will rise 4-9" by 2030 meaning there will be 50 days a year that Washington Street will be impassible.


Ten years ago, the MMA made a land swap with the Nantucket Land Bank - 28 Washington Street, where the Aquarium resides, for 33 Washington Street, and our lease at 28 Washington ends in November 2023.   


We are uniquely positioned to become one of the first coastal resiliency demonstration projects on Washington Street and to anchor the cultural district on the west end of town opposite the Whaling Museum, the eastern anchor.

 

Our goal is to relocate the Aquarium to the building across the street (33 Washington Street), which will need to be raised up and reimagined to represent Nantucket and reflect the life in its waters. Ours is not a traditional Aquarium, it is a collection of life from the waters of our harbors that is caught and released. It enables us to teach thousands of children and adults to be curious about science and the nature of Nantucket. Our new building will incorporate climate change education, hands-on and experiential learning opportunities, rain gardens that will absorb the rising waters, rotating exhibits, public spaces, scallop research, and it will preserve the existing historic buildings on our property. We will need your help.

We hope this inspires you to become curious about our project, to get involved, and to support our efforts. 

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