Wells Harbor Shellfish Lab

08/18/2026

Happy Tuesday!

Let’s talk about sea stars and how they operate. As you can see from the provided video, they have thousands of "tube feet" which serve a few different purposes:

- Locomotion: Sea stars move by altering the water pressure within their bodies. They take in water and channel it through their arms, which changes the pressure and propels them forward using their tube feet.
- Respiration: They take in water through the madreporite (the noticeable dot on the top center of the body), and the tube feet help circulate it to assist with respiration.
- Smell: Sea stars use their feet to detect chemical cues in their environment, which helps them locate food.
- Feeding: They use their feet to latch onto mussel shells and tear them open using strong suction. They then extend their stomach into the shell to feed.

08/04/2026

Clam Update!

Here is a quick update on our large tank in the back of the lab. It is currently housing soft-shell clams, which we are raising to release into the wild to supplement the natural population. We have had them since the beginning of June, and they have grown significantly since then.

Because we have fresh saltwater constantly pumping and cycling through our tanks, other marine life occasionally enters microscopically and begins to grow alongside the clams. This week, we found razor clams, periwinkle snails, sea stars, mussels, and an assortment of algae!

Swing by and check it out!

07/15/2026

We had some amazing guests this week!

Meet Piper and Stassi, who did some great work yesterday here at the lab. Piper won a school raffle prize to become a Junior Marine Biologist for a day, and she brought her best friend, Stassi, along to join her.

The girls helped clean the touch tank and the clams, getting a firsthand experience of what Kaitlyn and Rachel do to keep the lab running smoothly. They also had some wonderful interactions with our Harbormaster, the fantastic team from Wells Reserve, and the rest of our community here.

06/30/2026

Check this out! We were able to catch a blue lobster molting, here at the Lab! For this guy it took roughly 12 minutes to fully come out of his shell! Please check out the video here to watch it in full action! He will regrow a new shell in roughly 2-4 weeks, sometimes this process can take up to 10 weeks.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that no animals were harmed during this molting process. You will see us guiding other lobsters away from him in order to protect him. Lobsters are very vulnerable at this stage!

06/24/2026

Come say hello to our local skate and sculpins! They are very talented when it comes to hiding spots and camouflage. Come in and see if you can spot them!

06/10/2026

Hi all, good news! We will be officially opening for the season this Saturday (6/13)!

Swing by and check out all the critters! We will be open 7 days a week this season from 9am to 4pm. Hope to see you there!

08/09/2025

Check out our local 7-armed Forbes Seastar!

Fun fact about starfish is that sometimes when growing back an arm, they can actually grow back more than they intend to! This can be caused by a number of factors; overcompensation, cloning reproduction, mutations, or environmental stressors.

Stop by and try to guess what made this starfish grow extra arms!

08/08/2025

06/22/2025

Good Morning from the Harbor! We had some very cool visitors this morning. We had Northern Comb Jellies, Lion’s Mane Jellyfish, and Moon Jellies!

Although they are really awesome, if you ever see them on the beach or swimming next to you please be careful and do not touch them! They may be cute and squishy, but they pack a punch!

06/16/2025

We will be opening on Saturday! We’re very excited to see you all for the Summer of 2025!

Hope to see you all soon!