New Yorkers young and old got the chance to learn more about the city's waterways — and get hands-on with marine life Saturday. NY1's Matt McClure reports.

This youngster learned a lesson about the environment Saturday.

QUESTION: "What did you learn from the whole thing?"

"To not waste water that much," said Yacoub Ali, a participant in Saturday's marine science festival.

He was one of hundreds of kids who came out to the third annual Submerge NYC Marine Science Festival at Pier 26 in Lower Manhattan.

The event brings together researchers and scientists from around the state to educate New Yorkers about marine life and conservation.

"Hudson River Park really wants people to come to the waterfront, get hands-on and engage with the water and really dive into marine science," said Tina Walsh with the Hudson River Park Trust.

"The foundation of our teaching principals here at Hudson River Park is that science can be fun, science can be interactive, it can be accessible," said Nicholette Witcher with the Hudson River Park Trust.

Kids of all ages got to see and feel marine animals, learn about what pollution does to the waterways - and even go fishing.

Organizers put on the free event specifically to raise awareness about local waterways like the Hudson.

"When you look out at the water, you see waves and boats but what you don't always see are the miracles happening underneath the water," said Chris Bowser an Educator with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. "And that's what the submerge festival is all about."

The Hudson River is home to all different kinds of wildlife including the Atlantic Sturgeon. This guy is about six feet long, but they can grow to about ten feet long.

"It's an endangered species right now and our hope is that over the following decades, sturgeon are going to see a strong recovery," said Bowser.

In addition to wildlife, people got to test out some environmentally-friendly technology.

This young visitor said his favorite part of the day was operating these underwater robots.

QUESTION: "Do you like science a lot?"

"Yeah, my top two are chemistry and robotics," said Jordan Santiago.

QUESTION: "Do you want to be a scientist when you grow up?"

"If engineering counts as a scientist, then yeah!" Santiago said.

To learn more about upcoming events like this, visit the Hudson River Park web site.