Ninth grade students had a busy few days visiting Nantucket where they were hosted by the Maria Mitchell Association, a marine biology and astronomy research and education center. Executive Director (and former Academy parent!) Dave Gagnon shared information about the organization’s work and island history to give context to their visit. Students visited the Nantucket Whaling Museum, looked at planets and far away star clusters at the MMA observatory, collected crabs, snails, and fish for the MMA’s aquarium, toured the Town’s Shellfish Hatchery, and did some research on the effects of ocean acidification on shellfish health and habitat.