The region’s role in arctic whaling will be the subject of a talk sponsored by the Groton Bank Historical Association at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, featuring Fred Calabretta, senior curator at Mystic Seaport Museum.

Calabretta’s talk will focus on the mid-1800s and the role of whaling captains who resided at the time in the Groton Bank area of Groton. Arctic whaling was spearheaded by these captains and others, who sailed out of New London and New Bedford. Many captains built houses atop the Groton Bank, where they could get a commanding view of their ships docked at the New London wharves.

Calabretta served as co-curator for Mystic Seaport’s exhibition “Voyages: Stories of America and the Sea” and has curated the exhibitions titled “Frozen In: Captain George Comer and the Hudson Bay Inuit,” and “Rockets’ Red Glare: Connecticut and the War of 1812.” He has written for publications such as Sea History and Connecticut Explored.

For more information, call (860) 445-5959. The lecture will be held at Groton Congregational Church’s Dutton Hall, 162 Monument St.