Nearly 7,000 visitors flowed through the doors of the newly expanded Ocean Explorium during July and August, making the summer a resounding success.

“We were expecting a good response to our new live animal exhibits but the reaction from the public has been even better than we anticipated,” said Ocean Explorium executive director Mark Smith.

“Hundreds of local families have purchased annual memberships because they want to come back again and again. It’s heartening to see this kind of reaction when so many people in the community have worked so hard to make this project a success.”

The Ocean Explorium is currently gearing up for a spectacular new exhibit next month, with the arrival of the Hubble Space Telescope Exhibit, opening on October 9.

Meanwhile, a new schedule for fall and winter has begun. From this week, the Ocean Explorium will be open to the public four days a week—Thursday through Sunday—from 10am to 4pm. It will also be open on all holidays and school vacation days.

“Now that everyone is back at school, we feel this schedule will better maximize our resources, allowing us to focus our efforts on school field trips and other educational programs—which are offered throughout the week—while still being available to the general public four days a week,” explained Mr. Smith.
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“Like all not-for-profit organizations we must be prudent about how we spend our generously donated funds, while best serving our members and the community as a whole.”

Unique to New England  

The Ocean Explorium is a public center for ocean science education in downtown New Bedford—a unique blend of aquarium, museum, science center and school. It opened daily to the public on July 4 with a vibrant collection of marine animal exhibits from around the world, including a large living coral reef and a touch tank with local marine life, as well as a new hands-on activity center for younger children.
“The expansion has offered people the opportunity to see marine life up close and to learn about the oceans in a hands-on, interactive way,” said Mr. Smith.

The Ocean Explorium’s focal exhibit is Science on a Sphere—a state-of-the-art global display system which shows the earth and planets in 3-D, like viewing the planets from outer space. Developed by NOAA (the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration), the Sphere is unique in New England.

“We have here in New Bedford something that nobody else in New England can offer,” said Mr. Smith, “and the success of the summer shows that people are really responding to it. Our mission is education and our concern is the oceans. But we want to make learning about the oceans exciting. We know that people will care more if they are engaged and have fun while they are learning.”

Ongoing fundraising campaign

Mr. Smith explained that the cost of operating the Ocean Explorium is met by a combination of government education grants, revenue from ticket and gift shop sales, and most importantly, donations. He said the fundraising campaign was ongoing, and opportunities are available for people to contribute in many ways, including naming opportunities for aquarium exhibits.

“We have so much to offer people of all ages, but the operation of our programs depends very much on people’s continued generosity,” he said. “I would urge any potential benefactor to contact me personally if they would like to learn more. I encourage anyone interested in education to come and see first-hand the work we are doing for the community.”