Rudy and Rosey are lonely and need some company.

Rudy, a Dall’s porpoise skeleton, and Rosi, an orca skeleton, have been hanging from the rafters at the Coupeville Wharf for years. They are the prominent features of what could become a marine education center at the Coupeville Wharf.

The Beach Watchers group is planning to develop a center in the lobby of the building. To figure out the shape it will take, volunteers are questioning community groups around Coupeville.

“I think we’d like to see the best possible vision of what a marine education center could be,” said Graham Johnson, a volunteer who is helping the Beach Watchers. He visited the Coupeville Town Council in early March to get their thoughts on the center.

Mayor Nancy Conard said the center should be similar to the whale museum in Friday Harbor, only more expansive. Council member Jim Phay suggested a large fish tank so spectators could see local fish. Fellow council member Molly Hughes said the center should mention Penn Cove mussels.

Johnson said he is planning to meet with the local chamber of commerce and school teachers in the coming months. He said the conversations about the education center has been positive.

He hopes to have some kind of presentation ready for the commissioners for the Port of Coupeville, which owns the wharf, after July 1.

There is already some education attractions at the wharf. In addition to the skeletons, there is a monitor connected to an underwater camera. The Coupeville marine center got a boost several years ago when a similar center in Poulsbo closed and the group purchased some of the center’s equipment.

The education center will occupy the lobby that is located between a gift shop and a restaurant.

Graham said a marine education center would be a way to enhance the town’s economy and bring more visitors to the area.

“The primary driver for doing this is economic development,” Johnson said, adding that it has been difficult for businesses located in the Coupeville Wharf to succeed.