Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Announces Green Crab Week

August 1, 2025

NANTUCKET, MA— Join the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), Nantucket Land and Water Council (NLC), and Sustainable Nantucket (SN) for the Sixth Annual Nantucket Green Crab Week! The MMA,  NLC, and SN will be offering fun daily events August 3 to August 9 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 the 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. Together, as a community, it is possible to help prevent green crabs from destroying the natural resources that make Nantucket’s waters so special! Please come join us during Nantucket Green Crab Week to learn more. 

 

MMA Green Crab Identification Workshop and Derby Information Session

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Nantucket-Green-Crab-Identification-Workshop-and-Info-Session-04Aug2025 

Monday, August 4, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM Price: FREE 

Location: MMA Aquarium, 32 Washington Street 

Join Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium staff to learn how to identify the European green crab (Carcinus maenus), an invasive species that threatens Nantucket's native species and habitats! We will compare these species to local crab species and determine their biological sex. This is a great chance to learn about our annual Nantucket Green Crab Derby and all its events! 

 

 

MMA Nantucket Green Crab Survey: Seine Method 

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Nantucket-Green-Crab-Survey-Seine-Method 

Tuesday, August 5, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM Price: FREE 

Location: Hither Creek Beach Access (Beach Access #52) 

Join Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium staff on a survey for invasive European green crabs! This survey will be a part of the MMA Nantucket Green Crab Community Science Survey that you can do yourself at any time. In this session, we will be using a seine net. 

 

Annual Green Crab Fertilizer and Bait Pickup 

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Annual-Green-Crab-Fertilizer-Workshop-with-the-Nantucket-Land-Council-07Aug2025 

Thursday, August 7, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM 

Price: FREE 

Location: MMA Aquarium, 32 Washington Street 

Join Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium staff to pick up green crabs for free, fun, and exciting ways to help control the population of the invasive green crab, while creating environmentally friendly fertilizer for your garden or bait for your fishing! Registrants can drop by the Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium at 32 Washington Street on Thursday, August 7, between 10am and 12pm to pick up a take-home green crab fertilizer kit or bait crabs! Kits will include green crabs and instructions on how to make your own green crab fertilizer – you will need your own white vinegar. 


Nantucket Green Crab Survey: Wading and Hand Net 

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Nantucket-Green-Crab-Survey-Wading--Hand-Net-08Aug2025 

Friday, August 8, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM 

Price: FREE 

Location: The Creeks/Harbor Flats, 99 Washington Street Ext 

Join Maria Mitchell Aquarium staff on a survey for invasive European green crabs! This survey will be a part of the MMA Nantucket Green Crab Citizen Science Survey that you can do yourself at any time! In this session, we will be wading and using hand nets. 

 

Annual Green Crab Derby 

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Annual-Green-Crab-Derby-09Aug2025 

Saturday, August 9, 12:00 AM – 4:00 PM 

Price: $10, Groups of Up To 4 Persons Can Compete 

Help the Maria Mitchell Association and the Nantucket Land Council fight the green crab invasion by participating in the annual Nantucket Green Crab Derby! Participate in a team of up to 4 to help us maintain healthy marine habitats and for a chance to win prizes! Rules and prize details are detailed in the reservation process. Green crabs can be caught between 12am – 4pm and dropped off at the Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium between 12pm – 4pm! 


 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, and a research center, in addition to preserving 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. For more information on the Maria Mitchell Association’s environmental work and initiatives, please visit www.mariamitchell.org. 


 The Nantucket Land and Water 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 and Water Council also hosts the State of the Harbor Forum and Oysterfest each year 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 and Water Council, please visit www.nantucketlandcouncil.org. 

 

Founded in 2000, Sustainable Nantucket’s mission is to preserve the community character of Nantucket while sustaining its economic and environmental vitality. Sustainable Nantucket (SN) is a grassroots, local, non-profit organization that is building a more locally-based and self-reliant food system on-island through education, advocacy, training, and partnerships which include farmers, fishermen, local food producers, schools, restaurants, and other community stakeholders. For more information on Sustainable Nantucket, please visit www.sustainable-nantucket.org. 

 

 

### 



 

 


For Immediate Release

August 1, 2025

Contact: Grace Kotchen

marketinginterns@mariamitchell.org

Recent Posts

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • March 30, 2026
1882. Mch.13.3 p.m. I start for Faculty. As I sit, I feel as well as I ever did in my life; I go to Faculty and we probably shall elect what we called the “honor” girls. I dread the struggle that is pretty certain to come . . .The whole system is demoralizing and foolish. Girls study for “prizes” and not for learning when “honors” are at the end. The unscholarly motive is wearing. Maria Mitchell once said, “You cannot mark the human mind because there is no intellectual unit.” She did not like grades or prizes as you can see by her words above. I have to agree. Whether it be in academics or sports or some other activity, you should be rewarded in what you learn and how well you do – not to achieve a prize at the end. It’s the same idea with giving prizes to everyone so no one feels left out – just don’t do it. Learn how to lose gracefully.  JNLF

Women’s History Month

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • March 23, 2026
March is Women’s History Month – though all months should be women’s history month! Maria Mitchell was one of the founders of the Association for the Advancement of Women (AAW), was its president for a term (1875), and founded its Science Committee which she chaired for the remainder of her life. When the fourth Congress of the AAW met in Philadelphia in October 1876, Julia Ward Howe (also a friend of Maria’s) was serving with Maria on the executive committee. Maria presented a paper, “The Need for Women in Science.” In it she stated, Does anyone suppose that any woman in all the ages has had a fair chance to show what she could do in science? . . . The laws of nature are not discovered by accidents; theories do not come by chance, even to the greatest minds; they are not born of the hurry and worry of daily toil; they are diligently sought, they are patiently waited for, they are received with cautious reserve, they are accepted with reverence and awe. And until able women have given their lives to investigation, it is idle to discuss the question of their capacity for original work. She is not saying that women cannot be scientists – she is saying they need to be given the opportunities. Maria was incredibly busy with the AAW – it took up a great deal of her time – and at the next meeting in November of that year some aspects of the meeting were wonderful according to her account –“excellent” papers, “newspapers treated us very well. The institutions opened their doors to us, the Centennial gave us a reception. But – we didn’t have a good time!” It appears there was discord among the women. A few opposed the subject of “Woman Suffrage,” but Lucy Stone was able to present her paper on the subject despite this. And, some women felt that the West was not well represented and was overshadowed by New England, thus women representing the western states protested the nomination and election of Julia Ward Howe as president of the AAW. But she won. Whew! It was not always easy and controversies constantly abounded with many schisms over time within the women’s rights movement. I often wonder what Maria might think of the place of women today – how far things have come from her time or would she be surprised that there still is inequality? What would she think? In honor of Women’s History Month, visit the National Women’s History Alliance, the National Women’s History Museum, and the National Collaborative of Women’s History Sites. These places will also point you in the directions of women’s history sites across the country and how to find out more information about all these women who paved the way for us!  JNLF

Women’s History Month – On the Road with the NHA

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • March 17, 2026
For several years now, we have been teaming up with the Nantucket Historical Association in March for Women’s History Month. We visit each senior living or meeting site on island – five in all over the course of the month. We work to unique history of the place of women in our community then and through today – an incredible legacy that in the nineteenth century and earlier was quite unusual. We highlight women from all walks of island life, their accomplishments, and how they helped and influenced others. You see, Maria Mitchell was not the only incredible woman that Nantucket produced. For example, Eliza Codd was the island's first woman architect - and the leading architect on island when she practiced. Nantucket women shared their knowledge, path, support, and guidance with others both here and away and became major influences in the rights of women, women’s education, and the general place of women in society. Pretty incredible for such a small island! JNLF
Show More