The impending closure of the Poulsbo Marine Science Center has, unfortunately, been a long time coming. Businesses can only keep their heads above water so long if the services they are offering do not pay the bills. That’s hard reality. Whether the business in question is loved by the community at large and whether it has survived for 15 years through various means, it all eventually comes down to the bottom line.

The Marine Science Society of the Pacific Northwest’s media release Monday was a surprise but not altogether a shock. Folks hearing about next week’s proposed closing of the MSC typically exhibited two reactions: sorrow and the comment (to one degree or another) that they were wondering when this day would ultimately arrive. We say “proposed” because this is not a done deal. The MSSPNW has made it pretty clear that the center’s sinking financial boat can still be bailed out and the services offered can be continued. It will take extraordinary means to do so, but it can still be accomplished.

If not, North Kitsap will be bidding farewell to an educational service it has relied on for years. Children and adults have spent countless hours there doing everything from volunteering and teaching to experiencing brand new things and learning about the unique environment that surrounds this region on three sides. It is this last aspect that could have the most serious repercussions for our area.

With the continually declining health of the Hood Canal and constant need for vigilance to assist our ailing bodies of water, be they streams or bays, the MSC’s offerings will sorely be missed. If this is the center’s final gasp and no one is able to save it from slipping into the depths, we’d like to thank everyone who worked to create it and those who did what they could to keep it afloat as long as possible. Yours was truly a noble endeavor.