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. TODAY, AFTER BEING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR 30 YEARS AND HAVING EDUCATED AND ENTERTAINED MORE THAN 14 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. AT THE HEART OF THE AQUARIUMS MISSION IS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION. PRIOR TO 2020, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS EXPERIENCED THE AQUARIUM EACH YEAR THROUGH OUR OUTREACH AND DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS, CAMPS, AND ON-SITE PROGRAMS. WHEN COVID-19 ARRIVED IN EARLY 2020, OUR ON-SITE PROGRAMS AND CAMPS WERE CANCELLED, BUT OUR ONLINE DISTANCE LEARNING TEAM ROSE TO THE CHALLENGE OF KEEPING HOME-BOUND STUDENTS ENGAGED AND ENTERTAINED. WE STREAMED 50 FREE PROGRAMS THAT ANYONE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA COULD ACCESS AND PROVIDED UPBEAT CONTENT ACROSS OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO HELP PEOPLE FIND BRIGHT SPOTS DURING DARK TIMES. ALONG WITH VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP PROGRAMS, AND OTHER PRIVATE VIDEOCONFERENCE PROGRAMS, WE REACHED MORE THAN 300,000 CHILDREN IN 10 COUNTRIES OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, STRENGTHENING THEIR STEM SKILLS AND INSPIRING THEM TO BE RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT.

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. IN 2021, THE AQUARIUM HOSTED WASHED UP TEXAS, A TEMPORARY EXHIBITION OF LARGE-SCALE OCEAN ANIMAL SCULPTURES MADE OF MARINE DEBRIS THAT HAS WASHED UP ON TEXAS BEACHES. THE TRASH-TURNED-ART SCULPTURES ACT AS THE VEHICLE TO BRING AWARENESS TO, AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON, THE PROBLEM OF PLASTICS POLLUTION IN OUR OCEANS. 2021 ALSO BROUGHT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHICS TRAVELING EXHIBITION PLANET OR PLASTIC? TO THE TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM. THE EXHIBIT DISPLAYED MOVING IMAGERY TELLING THE STORY OF THE GLOBAL CRISIS OF MARINE PLASTICS. THE EXHIBIT OFFERED SOLUTIONS AND INFORMATION TO MITIGATE THE ISSUE OF PLASTIC WASTE AND TO MINIMIZE SINGLE-USE PLASTIC CONSUMPTION. 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. THE TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM ALSO SUPPORTS OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THEIR CONSERVATION EFFORTS. SINCE 2013, OUR WILDLIFE CARE, CONSERVATION, AND RESEARCH FUND PROGRAM HAS DEDICATED MORE THAN 500,000 TO FUND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PROJECTS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, THE SEA OF CORTEZ, SOUTH AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, AND SOUTH AFRICA. THESE PROJECTS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONSERVATION OF ENDANGERED SEA TURTLES, DOLPHINS, OYSTER REEFS, CORALS, SHARKS, FLAMINGOS, WHOOPING CRANES, MONARCH BUTTERFLIES, AND KOALAS, AMONG OTHERS.

OUR WILDLIFE RESCUE TEAM MINISTERS TO THE NEEDS OF HUNDREDS OF INJURED SHORE AND WATER BIRDS, SEA TURTLES, AND MARINE MAMMALS EACH YEAR. IN FEBRUARY 2021, THE AQUARIUM FACED THE AFTERMATH OF WINTER STORM URI. THE SUDDEN, PROLONGED TEMPERATURE DROP IN SOUTH TEXAS LED TO AN UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF COLD-STUNNED SEA TURTLES. THE AQUARIUMS WILDLIFE RESCUE TEAM WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK TO INTAKE, MONITOR, AND TREAT MORE THAN 1,000 SEA TURTLES BETWEEN FEBRUARY 13-23. MORE THAN 950 OF THE RECOVERED SEA TURTLES WERE EVENTUALLY RELEASED BACK INTO THEIR NATURAL HABITAT. IN JUNE 2021, THE AQUARIUMS WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTER TOOK IN A STRANDED MALE BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN CALF FOUND LIVING IN THE SHALLOW LAGOON NEXT TO HIS RECENTLY DECEASED MOTHER. 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 EVENTUALLY TRANSFERRED TO THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER IN THE FLORIDA KEYS. IT IS THROUGH THESE AND MANY MORE PROGRAMS THAT THE TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM HELPS PRESERVE OUR REGIONS RICH ENVIRONMENTAL HERITAGE AND EMPOWERS MILLIONS OF VISITORS TO TAKE ACTION TO HELP PRESERVE AND PROTECT OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. AND FINALLY, AS A PRIVATE, NOT-FOR-PROFIT INSTITUTION, THE AQUARIUM HAS A TREMENDOUS ECONOMIC IMPACT (OVER 155 MILLION IN 2021) WITHOUT THE NEED FOR COUNTY OR STATE FUNDING SUBSIDIES FOR OPERATIONS.