CoastX

CoastX We deliver hands-on, ocean-based experiential programs that empower middle & high school students to tackle real-world coastal challenges and be innovators.

We help students be curious, build confidence and nurture their sense as to what is possible.

And finally, a HUGE THANK YOU to the incredible volunteers, Subject Matter Experts, and CoastX Team who shared their tim...
08/21/2026

And finally, a HUGE THANK YOU to the incredible volunteers, Subject Matter Experts, and CoastX Team who shared their time, talent, energy, and knowledge with our students this summer! 🌊💙

It truly takes a community to make CoastX programs happen, and we are so grateful to:

Susan, Ian, Matt, Jenna, Jiff, Betsy, Betsy, Mike, Scott, Robin, Laura, Sam, Drew, Addie, Alexandra, Alyssa, Ana, Brian, Broz, Daniel, Daniel, Ed, Ernie, Hailey, Hannah, Jim, Jordan, Matthew, Max, Michale, Olivia, Robert, Robyn, Taylor, and Thomas!

A special thank you as well to the crew of the M/V Utopia, the crew of the R/V Gulf Surveyor, the Kittery Community Center Crew, the Kittery Harbor Master team, Pepperrell Cove Team, the Key Collective, and all of the other volunteers, experts, partners, and supporters who jumped in along the way — including anyone whose name we may have inadvertently missed!

Every one of you helped create incredible hands-on experiences, introduce students to new possibilities, and make the 2026 CoastX summer one to remember.

Thank you for sharing your time and incredible knowledge with our rock star CoastX students! ⭐🌊

We received SO MANY compliments on this year’s CoastX T-shirt design that we would be remiss not to give a big shout-out...
08/20/2026

We received SO MANY compliments on this year’s CoastX T-shirt design that we would be remiss not to give a big shout-out to the talented Elsa Grant, who also created the original CoastX logo! 🎨🌊

This year’s design captured the fun, energy, and spirit of CoastX and everything our students experience on and around the ocean.

We especially appreciate Elsa taking time away from her full-time graphic design work at K2 Skis to help us continue building the CoastX brand.

Thank you, Elsa! ❤️

See more of her work at www.ElsaGrant.com

As we start to sort, pack, and put away the hundreds of pieces of equipment that make CoastX programs possible, we’re pa...
08/19/2026

As we start to sort, pack, and put away the hundreds of pieces of equipment that make CoastX programs possible, we’re pausing to give a few well-deserved THANK YOU shout-outs!

Today, it’s to our two AMAZING summer interns, Robyn Hamilton and Ana Burnette.

🌊 Robyn Hamilton joined us through the University of New England Sustainability Fellowship as our Marine Science Intern. Having just graduated with a degree in Marine Science, Robyn brought a wealth of knowledge to our students and the entire CoastX team. She contributed to program planning, jumped into every aspect of our programs, and worked directly with students throughout the summer. We are incredibly grateful for everything Robyn brought to CoastX and wish her all the best as she heads to San Diego to pursue the next chapter of her career!

📸 Ana Burnette joined us through the University of New Hampshire UNH ECenter - Peter T. Paul Entrepreneurship Center and its Paid Internships at Start-ups Program. As our Marketing/Communications and Program Assistant Intern, Ana was behind almost every photo and video you saw from CoastX this summer! Spending long days on the water capturing the spirit of CoastX—and, most importantly, the impact these experiences have on students—is no easy task. Ana did it all with creativity, hard work, and nonstop positive energy. We’re deeply appreciative and wish her a fantastic senior year at UNH!

A huge THANK YOU to Robyn and Ana for helping make this summer such a success—and to both universities for providing partial financial support that helps make internships like these possible.

We couldn’t have done it without you! 🌊💙

🌊 That’s a wrap on an AMAZING summer at CoastX! 🌊Friday was a fantastic finish to Ocean Discovery Week — and to an incre...
08/17/2026

🌊 That’s a wrap on an AMAZING summer at CoastX! 🌊

Friday was a fantastic finish to Ocean Discovery Week — and to an incredible summer of exploration, discovery, and new friendships!

On Thursday, students headed back aboard Utopia for more hands-on marine exploration. Using underwater ROVs, they had some AMAZING encounters with lobsters, crabs, and other marine life beneath the surface. 🦞🦀 Thank you .dangelo for the drone video of the students on the Utopia

The adventure continued at , where students learned about the remarkable history of the surfmen who served at the station. Then it was time for a BioBlitz using iNaturalist — exploring the island, identifying species, and collecting data on more than 250 organisms! 🌿🐚🔬

Friday brought one final big adventure aboard the UNH R/V Gulf Surveyor. Students experienced a full-scale research vessel, conducted water sampling and data collection, and traveled to the Isles of Shoals to explore a different marine environment — while enjoying the final hours with the new friends they made during the week. 🚢🌊

And with that, our 2026 summer season is officially a wrap!

A huge THANK YOU to our students and families, the entire CoastX team and volunteers, our incredible partners — including Wood Island Life Saving Station Association, Portsmouth Harbor Cruises and UNH’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping / Joint Hydrographic Centerl

— and ESPECIALLY our donors. Your support makes these hands-on experiences possible and provides scholarships that ensure more rock-star students can get out on the water, explore, discover, and see where their curiosity can take them. 💙

What a summer. What an incredible group of students. We can’t wait to see what they do next! 🌊🔬🚢

☀️🌊 A beautiful August day on the ocean with our Ocean Exploration students!Wednesday was all about discovering what’s r...
08/13/2026

☀️🌊 A beautiful August day on the ocean with our Ocean Exploration students!

Wednesday was all about discovering what’s really happening beneath the surface. 🔬🌊 Students designed and built different types of plankton tows, experimented with different mesh sizes, and then headed to the microscopes to discover the amazing life hiding in just a single drop of ocean water! 🦠🔬

We also continued our water-quality testing—measuring salinity, temperature, pH, nitrogen and more to better understand the health of our local waters.

And, of course, no CoastX week on the water would be complete without the famous “Man Overboard!” drill featuring every student’s favorite crew member…

😂 BOB! 🛟🌊

Another great day of getting students on the water, asking questions, experimenting, and exploring the ocean firsthand.

08/13/2026

Amazing lobster footage with the ROV in Pepperrell Cove!

08/13/2026

CoastX students on the water on Wednesday. Marine Science all day! Building Plankton tows, seeing what's in a drop of water, and ocean and river water testing.

ON THE OCEAN: Day 2 of August Ocean Exploration was packed with underwater discoveries! 🌊🦞🤖We started with Addie Coletti...
08/12/2026

ON THE OCEAN: Day 2 of August Ocean Exploration was packed with underwater discoveries! 🌊🦞🤖

We started with Addie Coletti from , who introduced students to the incredible eelgrass meadows beneath our local waters—why these underwater habitats are so important, the threats they face, and the work underway to restore them. Such a highlight for students to understand what's going on below the surface of the water.

Matthew from joined us with an additional BlueROV2 equipped with multibeam sonar, giving students a chance to see how underwater robots are used for real-world mapping, surveying, and exploration.

And there was A LOT to explore!

🦞 DOZENS of lobsters
🌊 Cerianthid anemones
🦀 Jonah crabs
🐟 Sculpins and flounders
🏺 An old octagonal glass jar recovered by an ROV—with a red hake fish living inside! The fish was identified and safely released.

We even used an ROV to deliver a piece of squid to one very lucky lobster!

Both groups also became estuary scientists, testing varous types of water quality at two different sites, before heading back to shore to learn some practical knot-tying skills they’ll put to use on tomorrow’s projects—and hopefully remember for years to come.

ROVs + marine science + unexpected discoveries = a pretty great Day 2 at CoastX!

And of course, a WHOLE LOT OF FUN TOGETHER

Monday kicked of CoastX's August Ocean Exploration Program! 🌊🤖We started with an incredible first day at UNH’s Center fo...
08/12/2026

Monday kicked of CoastX's August Ocean Exploration Program! 🌊🤖

We started with an incredible first day at UNH’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping / Joint Hydrographic Center (CCOM), where students got a behind-the-scenes look at cutting-edge ocean research and technology—from autonomous vessels and sensor buoys to tidal turbines and wave-testing labs and the amazing world class researchwork University of New Hampshire is doing. Thank you.

Then it was time to take the controls! Students headed to CCOM’s enormous freshwater test tank for "ROV Pilot School", learning to maneuver underwater robots in a controlled environment before taking those skills into the ocean.

This group impressed us from the start. They quickly mastered the ROVs, breezed through underwater obstacle challenges, and—most importantly—showed great teamwork, curiosity, and enthusiasm.

More prep work getting used to the water testing process and data collection.

Next stop: the ocean, where we’ll put those new piloting skills to work exploring lobster habitat and discovering what’s beneath the surface! 🦞🌊

A fantastic start to Ocean Exploration!

CoastX Blue Art Look-Back to Friday's Finale! 🎨🌊What an incredible week our Blue Art students experienced!From observati...
08/06/2026

CoastX Blue Art Look-Back to Friday's Finale! 🎨🌊

What an incredible week our Blue Art students experienced!

From observational sketching aboard the M/V Utopia as we explored the Piscataqua River and Great Bay, to hauling lobster traps and discovering the marine life that inspires so much of our creativity, every day offered a new adventure.

Students also spent three unforgettable days in residence at the historic , exploring its rich history, wandering tide pools, observing the ever-changing coastline, and finding inspiration in one of Maine's most beautiful settings.

The week concluded with two days at the CoastX Studio at the Kittery Community Center, where students refined their techniques, added the finishing touches to their portfolios, and reflected on all they had experienced and created.

A heartfelt thank you to our amazing instructors and partners who made this week so special—Jiff, Betsy, Michael, Betsy, the team at Wood Island Life Saving Station, and the many artists, volunteers, boat captains, and supporters who generously shared their time, talent, and passion with our students. Big appreciation to the donors who helped fund and underwrite the program this year! Thank you all!

The creativity, confidence, and artistic voices that emerged throughout the week were truly inspiring.

Enjoy a look at some of the incredible artwork created by our talented young artists! 🎨✨

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Kittery Point, ME

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