Texas State Aquarium Association

THE TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM'S MISSION IS ENGAGING PEOPLE WITH ANIMALS, INSPIRING APPRECIATION FOR OUR SEAS, AND SUPPORTING WILDLIFE CONSERVATION. ITS VISION IS TO BE A GLOBAL LEADER IN FOSTERING SUPPORT FOR THE CONSERVATION OF THE GULF OF MEXICO AND CARIBBEAN SEA. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL, THE AQUARIUM HAS DEVELOPED MORE THAN 25 PERMANENT AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS TO INTERPRET THE ANIMALS AND SENSITIVE ECOSYSTEMS OF THESE REGIONS, EDUCATING AN AVERAGE OF MORE THAN 500,000 VISITORS ANNUALLY IN THE WONDERS OF THE MARINE WORLD. THE TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM PROMOTES AND ACTIVELY ENGAGES IN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION THROUGH A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS, INCLUDING A WILDLIFE REHABILITATION PROGRAM THAT MINISTERS TO THE NEEDS OF HUNDREDS OF SICK AND INJURED SHOREBIRDS, RAPTORS, SEA TURTLES, AND MARINE MAMMALS EACH YEAR.

IT ALL BEGAN IN 1969 WITH THE DREAM OF WHAT CORPUS CHRISTI COULD BE. VISIONARY COMMUNITY LEADERS HAD A BOLD, YET SIMPLE PURPOSE WITH THE TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM - CREATE EDUCATIONALLY ENRICHING AND ENTERTAINING EXHIBITS AND PROGRAMS TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH NATURE, AND INSPIRE THEM TO CARE FOR, AND ULTIMATELY HELP CONSERVE, THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE CARIBBEAN SEA. TODAY, AFTER BEING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS AND HAVING EDUCATED AND ENTERTAINED MORE THAN 15 MILLION VISITORS, THE TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM IS THE LEADING ATTRACTION IN SOUTH TEXAS, AN ECONOMIC DRIVER OF THE COASTED BEND TOURISM ECONOMY, A WORLDWIDE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER, AND AN AWARD-WINNING CENTER FOR WILDLIFE CARE AND REHABILITATION. THE AQUARIUM HAS ALWAYS AIMED TO EDUCATE GUESTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSERVING OUR HABITATS AND WILDLIFE - AND WE LEAD BY EXAMPLE. THE AQUARIUM HAS WORKED DILIGENTLY TO ORGANIZE AND CARRY OUT BEACH CLEAN-UP EVENTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE. IN ADDITION TO COORDINATING THESE EFFORTS, AQUARIUM STAFF CONDUCT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE EFFECTS GARBAGE HAS ON REGIONAL WILDLIFE. AS A MEMBER OF THE AQUARIUM CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP, THE TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM PRIDES ITSELF ON ITS EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE SINGLE-USE PLASTICS FROM OUR OPERATIONS, INCLUDING OFFERING CANNED WATER, PAPER STRAWS, AND RECYCLED MATERIAL SERVING CONTAINERS TO OUR RESTAURANT PATRONS. OUR PEPSI SHORELINE GRILL WAS THE FIRST RESTAURANT IN TEXAS TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE SURFRIDER FOUNDATION AS AN OCEAN FRIENDLY RESTAURANT. IT IS THROUGH THESE AND MANY MORE PROGRAMS THAT THE TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM HELPS PRESERVE OUR REGION'S RICH ENVIRONMENTAL HERITAGE AND EMPOWERS MILLIONS OF VISITORS TO TAKE ACTION TO HELP PRESERVE AND PROTECT OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.

AT THE HEART OF THE AQUARIUM'S MISSION IS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE AQUARIUM OVER THE YEARS THROUGH OUR OUTREACH AND DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS, FIELD TRIPS, CAMPS, AND ON-SITE PROGRAMS. IN 2022 ALONE, MORE THAN 20,000 GRADE LEVEL STUDENTS ENGAGED IN LEARNING INITIATIVES THROUGH THE IMMERSIVE AND ENGAGING PROGRAMS PROVIDED BY THE AQUARIUM. THESE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND EXPERIENCES AIM TO FOSTER THE NEXT GENERATION OF INSPIRED SCIENTISTS, OCEAN EXPLORERS, AND STEM PROFESSIONALS. IN 2022, THE AQUARIUM PARTNERED WITH TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY - CORPUS CHRISTI TO OFFER COLLEGIATE STUDENTS A DISTINCTIVE FIELD-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCE AS PART OF THE UNIVERSITY'S SCIENTIFIC DIVE TRAINING COURSE. THE STUDENTS SCUBA-DIVED IN THE AQUARIUM'S LARGEST EXHIBIT TO HONE THEIR SKILLS IN VISUAL UNDERWATER FISH SURVEY TECHNIQUES. THE AQUARIUM ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY - KINGSVILLE TO PERFORM TUMOR REMOVAL SURGERY ON SEVERAL ENDANGERED GREEN SEA TURTLES THAT ARRIVED DURING A COLD-STUNNING EVENT IN FEBRUARY 2022. THE STUDENTS ASSISTED OUR ANIMAL HEALTH TEAM WITH SUCCESSFULLY REMOVING THE MOST LIMITING TUMORS FROM THE TURTLES' BODIES. THESE AND OTHER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS PROVIDED REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING FOR STEM STUDENTS ACROSS THE COASTAL BEND.

OUR WILDLIFE RESCUE PROGRAM MINISTERS TO THE NEEDS OF HUNDREDS OF INJURED SHORE AND WATER BIRDS, SEA TURTLES, AND MARINE MAMMALS EACH YEAR. IN JUNE 2021, THE AQUARIUM'S WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTER TOOK IN A STRANDED MALE BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN CALF FOUND LIVING IN A SHALLOW LAGOON NEXT TO HIS RECENTLY DECEASED MOTHER. OVER THE NEXT 9 MONTHS, RESCUE TEAM EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED 24/7 CARE FOR THE YOUNG DOLPHIN AS IT GAINED STRENGTH AND RECOVERED FROM MALNUTRITION AND DEHYDRATION. THE DOLPHIN CALF, FULLY RECOVERED BUT DEEMED NON-RELEASABLE, WAS TRANSFERRED IN MARCH 2022 TO THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER IN THE FLORIDA KEYS, WHERE HE JOINED A POD OF 25 OTHER RESCUED DOLPHINS. IN THE SUMMER OF 2022, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLES WERE FOUND EMACIATED AND WEAK ALONG COASTAL BEND SHORES. THE WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTER RECEIVED MORE THAN 40 OF THESE STRANDED TURTLES FOR TREATMENT. BECAUSE OF THE AGGRESSIVE NATURE OF THESE TURTLES, THEY MUST BE KEPT SEPARATE FROM EACH OTHER WHICH COMPLICATES THEIR TREATMENT. INGENIOUSLY, THE RESCUE STAFF CONVERTED A FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM - INITIALLY DESIGNED TO SHIELD THE FACILITY FROM HURRICANE FLOODING - INTO INDIVIDUALIZED SEA TURTLE HABITATS SO THE TURTLES COULD BE SAFELY HOUSED WHILE REHABILITATING. THIS FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM SERVED ANOTHER STINT AS A MAKESHIFT TURTLE HOLDING AREA AROUND CHRISTMASTIME WHEN THE WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTER TOOK IN 300 GREEN SEA TURTLES DURING A COLD STUNNING EVENT. OUR IMPROVISED FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM HAS SET THE STANDARD FOR LARGE-SCALE AQUATIC WILDLIFE DISASTER RESPONSE AND IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THE TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM FULFILLING ITS MISSION OF BEING A GLOBAL LEADER IN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION.