Maine State Aquarium

Summary: Digital interactive exhibits that highlight scientific research at multiple scales, a new identity system, and an exhibit about sharks(!) to inspire the next generation of marine scientists
Client: Maine Department of Marine Resources, Education Division
Location: Boothbay, Maine
Exhibit Design: Chris Sullivan
Multimedia Content: Jen Widor Smith

The Maine State Aquarium re-opened its doors in 2024 with a new focus on inspiring the next generation of marine scientists, providing public access to ongoing scientific research, and raising awareness of issues facing the Gulf of Maine ecosystem.

Our studio worked closely with Chris Sullivan Creative Consulting and the Maine DMR Education Division on a complete redesign of this small but critically important aquarium. As part of that process, we designed an interactive research exhibit that focuses on consolidating and interpreting the wide variety of DMR research projects into three interactive experiences, each focused on a different scale of research. We also helped orchestrate the fabrication of the aquarium’s other “dry” exhibits, developed a new logo and branding system that unites the Education Division’s public spaces and programs, and designed and built an exhibit focused on sharks in the Gulf of Maine.

Interactive Design & Development

Within the aquarium, our studio was tasked with consolidating and displaying information about the ongoing research at DMR in a way that all visitors can understand and appreciate. We took our design queue from the breadth of DMR’s scientific work and organized a Research Spotlight exhibit around the concept of scales (no fish pun intended).

Microscopic Scale

Much of the ongoing scientific study at the Department of Marine Resources is done at the microscopic level—our entire marine foodchain relies on tiny phytoplankton, after all. To reveal this level of research to visitors, we designed an experience that consists of a large-screen microscope, a touchscreen monitor for displaying additional research-focused content, and a custom rotating tray and sensor that detects which specimen is being examined and fetches the corresponding content.

This custom hardware setup encourages visitors to dive deeper into the specimens presented, accommodates chronological narratives within each rotating tray to the next (e.g. a full lobster lifecycle), and allows aquarium staff to easily swap out specimens and content based on the latest research.

Local Scale

Science in coastal Maine often happens right outside our doors: on beaches, on piers, on small boats, and through community science initiatives. We selected an acutely relevant DMR project to highlight at this scale, focusing on a dataset of local sea surface temperature readings taken just a few hundred feet from the aquarium. This daily Boothbay Harbor ocean temperature dataset is unique for two reasons: 1) the data is standardized and consistent, and 2) the readings extend back to the early 1900s.

We wanted visitors to be able to explore this hyper-local, real-time dataset in a tactile and playful way, while simultaneously grounding it in species information that addresses the question “why does the temperature of the ocean matter?” Our studio designed a kiosk that combines a sleek rotary dial and a vertical touchscreen, allowing visitors to rotate the dial to update the radial chart of each year’s temperature readings. Below the chart, visitors can select a Gulf of Maine species and see its preferred temperature range and information about how ocean temperature affects its lifecycle and habitat.

Gulf of Maine Scale

Scientists at the Maine Department of Marine Resources study a wide range of subjects in the Gulf of Maine, from plankton to whales and everything in between. To provide a comprehensive overview of the extent of DMR’s work, our final interactive serves as a catch-all for current research projects and key species information.

Using a 55″ Ideum touchtable and an illustrated cross-section of the Gulf, we built an interface that allows visitors to explore individual species and the DMR research projects related to each. Each sequence of pop-up cards contains video clips, species info, and scientist-provided details about DMR projects. The content itself is easily managed via WordPress, allowing aquarium staff to swap out touchpoints, media, and content as new areas of study emerge.

Elliot only needs one tool

Populating the specimen trays with zooplankton

DMR scientists showing their research to Governor Mills using the microscope trays

Sharks? Sharks!

Near the aquarium on DMR’s Boothbay campus is an additional education space called the Learning Lab. Our studio identified this as an important overflow space for busy days and an opportunity to design and build new exhibits around subjects that did not make the cut in the aquarium.

These exhibits will intentionally be designed as rougher, less permanent, and more hands-on than those in the aquarium space. We chose a crowd-pleasing subject for an initial exhibit: Sharks in the Gulf of Maine.

Yes, that is a full-size image of a great white shark

Sharks in the Gulf of Maine

This exhibit consists of a freestanding articulated partition with alcoves for interactivity and media content. On the front, visitors are met with information about shark species in the Gulf, an overview of DMR research about sharks, and the importance of sharks within our ecosystems.

On the back side, the focus shifts to shark anatomy and their incredible sensory organs. Touchable artifacts act as a starting point for additional programming and hands-on school group activities.

Interactive Shark Tracking

Scientists at DMR use acoustic tags and receivers to track shark activity across the Gulf of Maine. To drive this point home, our studio built a custom interactive that combines laser cut shark silhouettes, RFID tags, and a map of tracking buoys to simulate how the tracking process works.

As a visitor moves one of the shark cutouts around the map, their activity is recorded based on which “buoys” the shark came close to. A small monitor allows visitors to see their shark’s latest sightings and basic species information.

Branding & Identity

As part of the reopening process, the Education Division reevaluated their mission statement, solicited feedback from the public, and consolidated their operations under a single identity: The Gulf of Maine Discovery Center. Our studio supported this process with the creation of a new identity system, merchandise guidelines, social media templates, and other marketing materials.

The logo system is built around the concepts of scientific exploration, playfulness, and interconnectedness. Colorful illustrations act as both a representation of the complexity of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and as ambassador creatures to excite future marine scientists.

The brand encompasses different means of exploring the Gulf of Maine through DMR’s Education Division. Through the Maine State Aquarium, visitors can see (and touch!) species from the Gulf. In the Learning Lab, visitors and school groups can put themselves in the shoes of a marine scientist. Through programming on Burnt Island and in classrooms, students and educators can learn more about the Gulf’s complex network of ecosystems, how they integrate into our everyday lives, and how we study and protect them.

From coastal tide pools to the depths of Cashes Ledge, the Gulf of Maine is teeming with life. Studying these environments is key to ensuring that the Gulf of Maine and its resources are sustained for generations to come.

Case Study