Aubrey Jane launched Turning Tides Ocean Education in 2025 to give people more opportunities to learn directly from environmental scientists while exploring Maine’s coast. A marine biologist specializing in the ecology and physiology of marine invertebrates, Aubrey saw an opportunity to help people appreciate the smaller species that are often overlooked in favor of whales, sharks, and other large marine animals.
Through Turning Tides, Aubrey offers private guided tide pooling experiences along the Maine coast, community events in Biddeford Pool, and educational programs developed with local businesses and organizations. As she prepared to launch the business, however, decisions about legal structure, insurance, banking, and other fundamentals began to slow her progress.
Aubrey connected with the Maine SBDC for guidance and began working with Business Advisor Anne. Anne helped her navigate the process of establishing the business, identify local banking and insurance resources, and develop tools for tracking growth and business goals. She has also kept Aubrey informed about relevant local ocean education opportunities.
Aubrey said, “Anne is deeply supportive, and I always feel more grounded and confident in my business when I meet with her.”
Since launching, Turning Tides transitioned to an LLC and has tide pooled with more than 100 people during summer 2026 alone. Several community tide pooling events sold out, and Turning Tides partnered with nine local businesses and nonprofits on a dozen ocean focused programs ranging from invasive species education to coastal retreats and beach cleanup events.
Aubrey has also begun offering consulting services. Her first consulting client, the Monhegan Museum, hired her to train a summer intern to lead guided tide pooling and to review a field guide for accuracy. Turning Tides was also named the best guided tour and rental company in Biddeford and Saco in the Portland Press Herald’s inaugural local awards.
Aubrey hopes to develop a model that allows other scientists to use the Turning Tides platform to offer additional ocean education experiences across Maine and, eventually, along the East Coast. With events already being booked for 2027, she is continuing to build toward a broader network of scientist-led coastal education.