About Us
At the Oceanarium and Education Center, we provide opportunities for both children and adults—locals and visitors alike—to connect with the ocean that surrounds us through unforgettable experiences. Our facility, located on 20 acres of tidal salt marsh at the northern tip of Mount Desert Island, features a Gulf of Maine-focused aquarium, a museum, and a salt marsh trail allowing for hands-on exploration right at the water’s edge.
Our Mission
The Mission of the Oceanarium is to provide educational exhibits and programs for all ages on local ecology, marine biology and research, citizen science, dark skies, fisheries and aquaculture, and STEM education in partnership with Maine schools.
Vision
The Oceanarium and Education Center’s exhibits and programming will inspire connectivity, conservation, and curiosity within Maine communities.
Meet Our Staff
Jeff Cumming
Executive Director
Celeste Deeny
Museum Shop Curator, Retail Manager
Ben Segee
Aquarium Manager, Lead Aquarist
Meghann Harris
Maine Ocean Festival Director
Gideon Conrad-Wallace
Aquarist
Galena Conrad-Wallace
Marketing
In Memory Of
Scott Swann - Museum Curator
“It is with sorrow that we recognize the passing of our museum curator, naturalist, educator, colleague, and dear friend Scott Swann.
Scott was an integral part of the birth of the Oceanarium and Education Center. One of the first to put his shoulder to the wheel, he came with a naturalist’s knowledge and a lifelong educator’s willingness to share. When paired with the carpentry knowledge and skill he brought to our needy buildings, our budding effort suddenly looked like it would succeed.
As our carpenter-in-residence, he was responsible for turning an industrial space into a beautiful museum. He also renovated our office into a warm and welcoming space, and worked on dozens of other smaller infrastructure projects that helped us reopen this institution. His advice and assistance when the marsh flooded our buildings was invaluable, and the ways of making our buildings more resilient we plotted out will ensure his legacy continues at the Oceanarium.
More importantly, Scott contributed to staff and visitor experiences alike with passion, curiosity, and a seemingly endless well of esoteric knowledge. Of course, our visitors benefited from his vast expertise, but so did we. Behind the scenes, there were so many interesting chats about the boundless nature around us. He taught us all–our very own in-house professional development. But he was more than a professional mentor to us, of course; we also were the beneficiaries of his personal life experience and hard-earned wisdom. He was such a kind and generous friend, always ready to laugh (even at his own expense), and we will treasure those leisurely chats in the OEC office forever.
The entire Oceanarium team sends our condolences and well wishes to his family, as well as the friends, colleagues and students who loved him–as numerous as the blades of Spartina patens in our marsh. Goodbye, Scott. You left us too soon, but you gave us so much.”
-Oceanarium and Education Center 4/21/2025