Visitors had plenty of activities to enjoy at Coast Day 2006, which drew a crowd of nearly 8,000 to the University’s Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes on Oct. 1.

The event, with a theme this year of “Celebrate Delaware’s Coastal Heritage,” is held annually to showcase the state’s ocean and coastal resources and the research carried out by UD’s College of Marine and Earth Studies. This year’s Coast Day also marked the 30th anniversary of the Delaware Sea Grant College Program.

Visitors attended informational lectures on lighthouses and the archaeology of an 18th-century ship, stopped by numerous displays and exhibits, competed in the annual Crab Cake Cook-Off and boarded boats in the harbor, including research vessels, an oil skimmer and Delaware’s tall ship, the Kalmar Nyckel. Children took part in a treasure hunt, picked up small marine animals from the “critter tank” and cheered on their favorites in the Great Crab Race.

A survey of those attending Coast Day 2005 found that 97 percent said the event had given them a better appreciation and understanding of marine and coastal resources. Seventy-five percent of the visitors said they became more aware of how to minimize impact on the environment, and 71 percent said they had a better understanding of research and how it affects them.