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Our Mission: Inspiring Conservation of the Salish Sea

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is an educational and scientific organization devoted to understanding and conserving our marine and shoreline environment.

It was founded in 1982 by two teachers and was initially run entirely by volunteers. Over the years it has continued to grow in a steady, thoughtful manner, and its volunteers, now numbering more than 100, are still integrally involved in the organization. Throughout its development it has remained committed to its mission of engaging people of all ages in understanding and protecting the marine environment.


Through its various programs, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center:




Teaches respect for and stewardship of the myriad life forms in that environment;


Creates active and involving educational experiences for groups, with a particular emphasis on youth;


Offers professional development and curriculum design for teachers;


Provides exhibits, programs, and publications featuring local marine and shoreline habitat, history, flora, and fauna;


Encourages meaningful volunteer experiences in PTMSC activities Provides citizen science opportunities for the general public;


Provides citizen science opportunities for the general public;


Partners and cooperates with other organizations dedicated to the conservation of Puget Sound and the NW Straits;


Encourages understanding of and participation in local, national, and international decisions impacting the marine and shoreline environment.