The Nantucket Aquarium Has Released This Year's Summer Catch

 Did you know that the Maria Mitchell Association's Nantucket Aquarium releases 98% of their summer "residents" each year at the end of the season?

It's called Release Day, and the staff encourage young animal lovers to attend and help them reintroduce the year's catch back into their natural habitat.

That's exactly what dozens of volunteers were up to this past Saturday. They stood knee deep in the chilly water to see off this year's batch of visiting fish, crabs, shrimp and other crustaceans.

Aside from a few year-round favorites like Blooper the Lobster and a collection of tropical fish, all of the summer aquatic life is "borrowed" from the waters surrounding Natucket.

Specimens are gathered throughout the season from staff expeditions, visitors, charter boats, fishermen and seafood markets.

As each summer draws to a close, local residents gather at the aquarium to help parade the animals down to the beach in plastic bins and buckets.

The annual event is fun, free and educational. Not only do the children in attendance learn all about the species they are releasing, they also come to appreciate the importance of preserving the oceans and keeping wildlife wild.

The aquatic creatures have gone back to the sea until next year, but there are still plenty of events hosted by the Maria Mitchell Association Science Center to enjoy including bird watching tours and astronomy presentations.

Check out the association calendar to see all upcoming events.