First Annual Nantucket Green Crab Derby with the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association

Kelly Bernatzky • July 20, 2021

As part of the Second Annual Nantucket Green Crab Week, the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) hosted the first ever Nantucket Green Crab Derby on July 16. Nantucket Green Crab Week is a collaboration between the MMA and Nantucket Land Council (NLC), offering a full week of daily activities to learn about and take action against invasive European green crabs on Nantucket.

 

European green crabs were first introduced to North America in the 1800s, likely traveling in ballast water of merchant ships from Europe. This invasive species is now abundant on Nantucket, threatening crucial aquatic resources, including eelgrass beds, shellfish populations, and native crab communities here on the island.

 

Together with thirteen active teams and forty-nine participants, the Nantucket Green Crab Derby collected over 650 individual green crabs weighing approximately thirty-one pounds. Considering females can release up to 185,000 larvae per season, the Derby may have prevented up to 60 million larval baby green crabs from entering Nantucket’s waters this year!

 

The grand prize winning team, “Crabby Middle Schooler,” collected 7.4 lbs. of green crabs. The second place team, “Nana Claws,” was very close with 6.2 lbs. and the highest number of individual crabs, totaling 232. The largest crab prize went to “The Green Crab Hunters” who collected an enormous 5.0 oz. green crab. “The Bronner 4” took home the prize for Best Decorated Crab with their crab named “Tamatoa” featuring a jingle shell and barnacles. “Crabby Middle Schooler” received an honorable mention for their well-decorated crab, “Shelley,” featuring a well-placed jingle shell! Both “Tamatoa” and “Shelley” will be on display at the Maria Mitchell Aquarium.

 

Though Nantucket Green Crab Week is over, anyone is welcome to join the MMA’s Citizen Science project on Green Crabs by helping conduct Green Crab Surveys. The more submissions the MMA receives, the better we can target green crabs where they are most abundant, track their movement preferences, and see how they use Nantucket’s sensitive eelgrass beds. To participate and learn more about this invasive species, please visit the Maria Mitchell Association Green Crab Research webpage at https://www.mariamitchell.org/the-green-crab. 

 

The Maria Mitchell Association is a private non-profit organization. Founded in 1902, the MMA works to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages.

 

Nantucket Land Council is a 501(c)3 environmental advocacy organization – protecting and preserving open space, harbor, pond, and groundwater, and advocating for the environment at Select Board, Planning Board, and Conservation Commission meetings. The Nantucket Land Council also hosts the State of the Harbor Forum each year and Oysterfest each November to educate residents on the state of our water resources, and what we can all do to help maintain this critical resource. For more information on the Nantucket Land Council’s environmental work and initiatives, please visit https://www.nantucketlandcouncil.org. 

For Immediate Release

July 20 2021

Contact: Kelly Bernatzky, Development Associate

kbernatzky@mariamitchell.org

Recent Posts

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association in Collaboration with Nantucket Dreamland Announce "Doktor Kaboom" Under Pressure!" Coming to Nantucket in March

February 18, 2026
NANTUCKET, MA— The Maria Mitchell Association, in collaboration with the Nantucket Dreamland, invites the community to two unforgettable and entertaining performances featuring Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure! on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14. Doktor Kaboom’s interactive Science Comedy shows engage audiences of all ages. In Under Pressure!, Kaboom illustrates physical science concepts that are also metaphors for real-life mental and emotional pressures, validating what students may feel, while sharing tools for dealing with life’s challenges. Blending big ideas, explosive demonstrations, and humor, Kaboom keeps audiences riveted with interest and rolling with laughter. Hailed as, “part Mister Wizard, part Mr. Rogers,” Kaboom delights patrons with curiosity, creativity, and charm. Both performances are FREE to the public. This event is possible due to a grant from the Remain Nantucket Fund at the Community Foundation for Nantucket. Reflecting on both the impact of the performance and the partnerships that made it possible, MMA Executive Director, Joanna Roche, shared, “A heartfelt thank you to the Community Foundation for the generous grant that made it possible to bring Doktor Kaboom to Nantucket, and to the Nantucket Dreamland for hosting this extraordinary performance. I’ve known the good Doktor for nearly twenty years, and I have no doubt that his unique blend of humor, magic, and science will not only make you laugh, but also leave you with a renewed sense of wonder and a deeper connection to the world around you.” The Friday performance will be followed by an Ice Cream Bar, generously sponsored by Island Kitchen, and a photo opportunity with Doktor Kaboom in the Harborview Room. Event Details: • Dates and Times: Friday, March 13 at 7pm and Saturday, March 14 at 3pm • Location: Dreamland Theatre, 17 South Water Street • Special Offering: Friday, March 13 – Post-performance Ice Cream Bar in the Dreamland Theatre Harborview Room, generously sponsored by Island Kitchen, plus a photo opportunity with Doktor Kaboom • Tickets: Available at https://www.nantucketdreamland.org/events/doktor-kaboom-under-pressure • Cost: Free This community event kicks off another free collaborative event, the annual Nantucket STEAM Festival, taking place Saturday, March 14, 2026 at the Nantucket High School Gymnasium from 10am – 2pm. This event features hands-on activities celebrating science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics from over twenty community organizations. A sensory-friendly half house begins at 9:30am. Doktor Kaboom! was created, and is performed, by actor and comedian David Epley, who has discovered two passions in his life: science and mathematics. Epley first explored his love of hands-on learning, chemistry, and physics at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and later studied at the university level, exploring a degree in Chemical Engineering. Epley, a performer for over twenty years, has reached over 2,000,000 students and families, and has performed over 2,000 live shows worldwide. Epley lives in Seattle, Washington. About the Nantucket Dreamland: The Nantucket Dreamland is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the cultural and intellectual life of Nantucket by providing year-round films, educational programs, and a venue for community activities that engage Nantucket in the evolving world of entertainment and education. The Dreamland’s mission is to build community on Nantucket year-round by bringing people together to share experiences through film, art, culture, and learning. About the Maria Mitchell Association: The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages. ######

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • February 17, 2026
1881, Feb. 26. Miss Whitney read Frances Power Cobbe’s “Lectures to Women” aloud to me. In the main they are excellent. I agree at almost every point. What she says about the duty of women in veracity, in cultivating both physical and moral courage, etc., in demanding not “favor but justice” . . . Mary Whitney would become the first president of the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association. She was one of Maria’s first students and ultimately her replacement at Vassar College. She also took over for Maria when she left the College for a brief illness in 1880. On her second trip to Europe in 1873, Maria would seek Frances Power Cobbe out at her home. A suffragette, Power Cobbe was a philosopher and writer among other things, including an animal rights activist when it came to experimentation on animals. Born into a wealthy family in Ireland, Power Cobbe would travel in Europe about the same time as Maria did in 1857, meeting some of the same people Maria would meet such as Mary Somerville (Maria’s hero and an astronomer, mathematician, scientist, and polymath) and Harriet Hosmer (sculptor). I should not note this but Maria wrote about Power Cobbe’s large head –further stating that being a large woman, she would have a large head. Reviewing images of Power Cobbe, I hate to say it but I cannot disagree – with my apologies to Ms. Powers Cobbe. JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Announces 12th Annual Nantucket STEAM Festival

February 10, 2026
NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces its twelfth annual Nantucket STEAM Festival (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) to be held Saturday March 14, 2026, in collaboration with over twenty Nantucket community partner organizations. This FREE, STEAM-inspired day of hands-on learning, creativity, and exploration is perfect for children, families, and life-long learners. Event Details: • Date: Saturday, March 14 • Time: 10am – 2pm. With a sensory friendly half hour 9:30 – 10am before the festival begins. • Location: Nantucket High School Gymnasium, 10 Surfside Road • Cost: Free This year’s theme, “3.14 Miles from Shore: Infinite Patterns,” falls on March 14 (3.14 also known as π or Pi) and focuses on Pi Day and a mission to engage the Nantucket community in intersectional STEAM experiences. This event exemplifies the MMA’s mission of creating opportunities for all to develop a life-long passion for science through education, research, and first-hand exploration of the sky, land, and sea of Nantucket Island. This festival has become the largest late winter event in our community and brought in over 700 participants in 2025! The festival returns this year with a renewed focus on hands-on discovery, powered by partnerships that reflect the breadth and creativity of STEAM across the Nantucket community. “Our goal is to make STEAM feel welcoming, relevant, and visible,” said Jónelle Gurley, Coordinator of the Nantucket STEAM Festival and Director of Science and Programs at the Maria Mitchell Association. “The energy and expertise our partners bring each year are what make the festival such a meaningful experience for participants.” This year’s community partner organizations include: the Artists Association of Nantucket, Egan Maritime Institute, Linda Loring Nature Foundation, Mass Audubon, Nantucket Atheneum, Nantucket Community Sailing, Nantucket Community School, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Nantucket Dreamland, Nantucket Fire Department, Nantucket Police Department, Nantucket Land and Water Council, Nantucket Lighthouse School, Nantucket Islands Land Bank, Nantucket Island School of Design and Art, Nantucket Lights, Town of Nantucket Natural Resources Department, The Trustees of Reservations, UMASS Boston Field Station Nantucket, US Coast Guard Station Brant Point, Nantucket S.T.A.R, and Sustainable Nantucket. All will be highlighting the incredible opportunities to discover STEAM on Nantucket. This event is FREE of charge and takes place at the Nantucket High School Gymnasium. Attendees will be able to participate in a range of hands-on activities and experiences. This year’s activities include, but are not limited to, “The Light Bulb Challenge,” “Science Story Walk,” “Bubbles Control Trouble,” “Pi(e) Day: Celebrating Native Fruit,” “Can You Solve the Unsolvable, ”Compost Cake,” “ A Puddle in the Woods,” “History of Life Jackets – Will it sink or float,” “Explore Hard and Soft Coastal Engineering Designs,” and many sensory crafts, general chemistry and astronomy related activities, and engineering and space exploration fun. The Nantucket Public Safety Departments will also be present for “Touch a Cruiser” and “Touch a Truck,” and the US Coast Guard Station (USCG) Brant Point will be in attendance to display lifesaving gear and a trailered USCG vessel. The Nantucket Science Festival is made possible thanks to the generosity of its volunteers, partner organizations, and generous sponsors. To kick off the Nantucket STEAM Festival, the MMA, in collaboration with Nantucket Dreamland, invites the community to two unforgettable and enthralling performances featuring “Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure!” an interactive Science Comedy show on Friday, March 13 at 7pm and Saturday, March 14 at 3pm at the Dreamland Theatre. These free performances are open to the public and engage audiences of all ages. About the Nantucket STEAM Festival: Founded in 2015, the Nantucket Science Festival is a mid-March collaborative community event, featuring hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics activities. It is an initiative of the Maria Mitchell Association in partnership with various Nantucket non-profit organizations, schools, and businesses. For more information, please visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/nantucket-science-festival  About the Maria Mitchell Association: The Maria Mitchell Association is a private non-profit organization. Founded in 1902, the MMA works to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages. ######
Show More