By Molly Chester

On September 30, Scarborough’s sixth graders traded their classrooms for the shoreline and headed to Higgins Beach for a day of hands-on science and team building. The trip followed several weeks of preparation for this culminating activity, all in partnership with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), with the goal of connecting students directly to the real-world science unfolding along our coast.

In the weeks leading up to the trip, students learned about native Maine Rock and Jonah crabs as well as the two invasive crab species that have been rapidly spreading through Maine’s tidal ecosystems: the European Green Crab and the Asian Shore Crab.

Both invasive species compete with native crabs for food and habitat and can have significant effects on shellfish populations, as well as on coastal erosion. Learning about the crabs’ origins, biology, and environmental impact set the stage for the fieldwork that would take us out of our classrooms and onto our beautiful beach.

Armed with buckets, calipers, and data sheets, the 251 sixth graders carefully combed through their assigned quadrats, spread across tidepools and rockweed, to collect and record their findings. For each crab they found, students identified the species, measured the carapace width, recorded the sex, noted whether eggs were present, and checked for missing claws. Their data will be shared with GMRI, where it will become part of a statewide effort to monitor invasive crab populations and track their spread over time.

Students wielded measuring tools like seasoned professionals, debated whether a crab had the stripes on its legs necessary to identify it as an Asian Shore Crab, and learned to respectfully return each specimen to its habitat after recording their observations. Although the crabs are invasive, we discussed the importance of treating living creatures with respect, especially during a scientific study.

For many students, it was their first time conducting field research, and it helped them see that science is all around us, and not just confined to a classroom or textbook.

Beyond the scientific aspect, the trip also served as the sixth grade’s traditional beginning-of-year team-building day. Before or after their data collection rotation, students played cooperative beach games, checked out our very own Higgins Beach shipwreck, and simply enjoyed the chance to spend time as a full group on our beautiful beach. Teachers and our fabulous parent volunteers supervised activities that encouraged communication, problem-solving, and general good times!

It was truly a perfect day at Higgins Beach: sunshine, community, and science in action, and we were reminded of how lucky we are to live in Scarborough and to have access to this kind of experience!

Molly Chester is a sixth-grade science teacher at Scarborough Middle School.

Top photo by William Cabana.