According to Footbridge Brewery co-owner Dan Pangburn, brewing is nothing but science. So, it's natural his business hosts one of the area’s liveliest science-based lecture series in what he calls “a perfect marriage.”   

February marks the one-year anniversary for Ocean on Tap, which celebrated with a trivia night at the Boothbay Harbor venue on the 20th. The grassroots lecture series, run by local scientists, highlights subjects around the ocean and coastal communities. From zombie ants to tuna fisheries, most talks have been on scientific research. However, some have touched on cultural issues including how people can build resilience to coastal disasters.    

“We wanted to push to capture that person who's not necessarily interested in science but could learn something, and benefit from, getting empowered by knowledge and connecting the community of Boothbay,” said Alaina Weinheimer, who started the series. Weinheimer, a postdoctoral researcher at Bigelow Laboratory, now runs it with a volunteer team of Bigelow staff.    

She said the idea came from similar events at other breweries, often labeled something like “science on tap.” She liked the conversational approach of bringing science to a community hub but wanted the talks to be about something tailored to the Boothbay region: the ocean. The face-to-face format prompts more connections and questions than a lecture hall or auditorium and, at Ocean on Tap, participation is encouraged.    

“What I really love is when the audience kind of interrupts the speaker and asks a question in the middle because it really makes it feel like a conversation and not a lecture,” she said.    

Weinheimer said she hopes audience members learn something they can apply to daily life. Speakers have included staff from Bigelow Laboratory, UMaine and Maine Coast Fishermen's Association. They have shared information to help audiences prepare for a storm, make sustainable seafood choices or simply appreciate an ecosystem they didn't know much about. Weinheimer said organizers try to make the subjects welcoming and strive to be neutral.    

“We know that science can be a triggering topic for some reason in our current world right now, unfortunately,” she said. “If we are going to talk about something like climate change, which shouldn't be controversial but for whatever reason is, to just pose things in the light of, ‘This is what's happening to this system,’ and not necessarily, ‘You need to do something about it,’ or, ‘It's your fault.’”   

The approach appears to be working. Around 20 people, mostly Bigelow researchers, came to the first talk. Now, the events are often standing room only.   

Weinheimer said the success has helped support local business and community in a town where year-round residents have limited spaces to congregate. When she pitched Pangburn the idea of hosting, he said he loved it. He said it’s been good for business, bringing in a mix of new and regular customers.      

“Everyone thinks that everybody just closes up shop in the winter and nothing's open down here. It's part of a win-win situation,” he said. “It definitely pulls people out of their houses, gives them something to do during the winter, and winter's kind of long here. You know, it's nice to have something to break that up.”   

Weinheimer said organizers are now thinking about expanding. She and Pangburn said there is still room at the brewery, and there aren't any plans to change regular venues. However, there is potential for growth. She said the team may apply for grants to purchase equipment, help cover the cost of out-of-town speakers or host a special event outside of Boothbay Harbor.   

That growth demonstrates the connections organizers wanted to build with the series. From the start, Weinheimer said, it was about community. 

“We hope (participants) learn something, but that's not entirely the goal. We hope mostly to strengthen the connection between local research or local marine professionals and the community,” she said. “It seems that it is starting to sort of build those connections that we hoped to have brought and hope to start building. And just seeing its growth and the interest in people, I guess that's what I'm most proud of.”