Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation

THE MISSION OF THE MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM IS TO INSPIRE CONSERVATION OF THE OCEAN. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE DRAW INSPIRATION FROM THE AQUARIUM AND LOOK TO US TO ADVOCATE FOR OCEAN WILDLIFE.

MARINE LIFE EXHIBITION AND CARE EXPENSES OF $37,487,699 INCLUDE THE COST OF OPERATING AND MAINTAINING THE AQUARIUM'S LIVING EXHIBIT GALLERIES.REOPENING OUR DOORS AFTER A 14-MONTH CLOSURE DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, THE AQUARIUM REOPENED ITS DOORS TO THE PUBLIC IN MAY 2021. STAFF EMBRACED NEW PROTOCOLS AND WORKED TIRELESSLY TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE AT WORK AND DURING A VISIT. RESPONSE TO OUR REOPENING WAS AMAZING: BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE HAD HOSTED MORE THAN 1.1 MILLION VISITORS. BRINGING A NEW DEEP-SEA EXHIBIT TO LIGHT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THE AQUARIUM WAS HARD AT WORK PREPARING OUR NEWEST EXHIBITION, INTO THE DEEP: EXPLORING OUR UNDISCOVERED OCEAN (EN LO PROFUNDO: EXPLORANDO NUESTRO OCEANO DESCONOCIDO). THE EXHIBIT, WHICH OPENED IN 2022, IS THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF DEEP-SEA ANIMALS IN NORTH AMERICA. OUR TEAM ENGINEERED ANIMAL LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS THAT REPLICATE THE DEEP SEA AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE, CREATED VIDEOS AND REPLICAS OF DEEP-SEA ANIMALS AND HABITATS IMPOSSIBLE TO SHOWCASE, AND DESIGNED INTERACTIVE GAMES SO VISITORS COULD LEARN FIRSTHAND ABOUT THREATS TO THE DEEP SEA'S FRAGILE ECOSYSTEMS. EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, THEY WORKED TO ENSURE THE NEW EXHIBITION WOULD NOT ONLY AMAZE BUT ALSO INSPIRE OUR VISITORS TO PROTECT THIS MOSTLY UNEXPLORED REGION OF OUR PLANET. PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL ANIMAL CARE ANIMAL CARE IS AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING THE AQUARIUM DOES. IN 2021, SOME OF OUR ANIMAL CARE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED WELCOMING NEW ANIMALS TO THE AQUARIUM AND CARING FOR OLDER ANIMALS AS THEY AGE. IN JULY, WE WERE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME THE FIRST-EVER TUFTED PUFFIN CHICK TO HATCH AT THE AQUARIUM. INITIALLY, THE CHICK'S PARENTS REARED HER ON EXHIBIT IN A NEST BOX. WE MOVED THE CHICK BEHIND THE SCENES TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL CARE WHEN SHE GREW LARGER. WHEN SHE WAS NEARLY TWO MONTHS OLD, SHE JOINED THE OTHER 12 PUFFINS IN THE EXHIBIT. LIKE ALL PUFFINS AT THE AQUARIUM, OUR CHICK IS PART OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS' SPECIES SURVIVAL PLAN THAT WORKS TO ENSURE THE HEALTH AND BREEDING OF TUFTED PUFFINS AT U.S. ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS. AT 22 YEARS OLD, ROSA, ONE OF OUR RESIDENT SEA OTTERS, IS AT THE UPPER END OF THE LIFESPAN FOR A SOUTHERN SEA OTTER. THAT MEANS SHE REQUIRES EXTRA ATTENTION AND CARE. ALTHOUGH STILL ACTIVE, SHE'S DEVELOPED AN AGE-RELATED HEART CONDITION AND HAS LIMITED EYESIGHT. OUR AQUARISTS AND VETERINARIAN HAVE ADJUSTED HER TRAINING ROUTINE AND REGULARLY MONITOR HER HEALTH TO WATCH FOR SIGNS OF DISCOMFORT OR DISEASE. ROSA HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL SURROGATE MOTHERS, HELPING RAISE 15 PUPS BEFORE HER RETIREMENT THREE YEARS AGO. THE PUPS ROSA AND OUR OTHER SEA OTTERS SURROGATE RAISE, AND THAT WE RELEASE INTO THE WILD, HAVE MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, HELPING RESTORE THE SEA OTTER POPULATION AND THE HEALTH OF COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS.

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH EXPENSES OF $14,718,378 INCLUDE THE COST OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND EMERGING TEEN LEADERS. STILL LIMITED BY THE PANDEMIC, WE CONNECTED WITH YOUTH AND TEACHERS BY OFFERING FREE VIRTUAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. WE ALSO BEGAN WELCOMING BACK TEENS AND TEACHERS TO THE AQUARIUM AND THE BECHTEL EDUCATION CENTER. PROMOTING SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION LEARNING VIRTUALLY HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE, CONSERVATION, AND STEM-BASED CAREERS IS ESSENTIAL TO OUR COMMITMENT TO INSPIRE A RISING GENERATION OF OCEAN STEWARDS. TO NAVIGATE THE CHANGES BROUGHT ON BY THE PANDEMIC, OUR EDUCATORS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING, NOW TOTALING 14 ONLINE COURSES AND THREE VIDEO LESSONS, WITH MANY AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. OUR MOST RECENT ONLINE COURSE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, EXPLORING THE DEEP BIT BY BIT, HIGHLIGHTS HOW MBARI SCIENTISTS USE CODING IN THEIR DEEP-SEA RESEARCH AND HOW AQUARIUM STAFF ARE USING CODING TO TELL STORIES OF DEEP-SEA ANIMALS AND RESEARCH IN OUR DEEP-SEA EXHIBIT. WE OFFERED VIRTUAL DISCOVERY LABS FOR PRE-K THROUGH GRADE 12 STUDENTS, WHICH WERE HIGHLY POPULAR WITH TEACHERS BOTH IN CALIFORNIA AND BEYOND. DURING THESE INTERACTIVE EXPLORATIONS OF MARINE ECOSYSTEMS, ELEMENTARY STUDENTS GET THE CHANCE TO LEARN ABOUT UNIQUE ADAPTATIONS THAT OCEAN ANIMALS EVOLVED TO SURVIVE IN CHALLENGING HABITATS. MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT OCEAN RESEARCH TECHNOLOGIES AND HUMAN IMPACTS, LIKE PLASTIC POLLUTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE, ON MARINE ECOSYSTEMS. OUR VIRTUAL PROGRAMS HAVE BECOME A KEY ELEMENT IN OUR STRATEGY TO EXPAND OUR REACH TO MORE STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHERS IN CALIFORNIA AND ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO OFFER THESE ONLINE COURSES IN THE FUTURE. INSPIRING TEACHERS TO INSPIRE THEIR STUDENTS TO SUPPORT TEACHERS IN INCORPORATING OCEAN SCIENCE LEARNING AND CONSERVATION ACTION INTO THEIR CLASSROOMS, WE OFFERED A WEEKLONG VIRTUAL TEACHER INSTITUTE IN THE SUMMER OF 2021. TEACHERS ENGAGED IN INTERACTIVE ZOOM SESSIONS THAT WERE INTERSPERSED WITH TIME TO GO OUTSIDE TO PUT INTO ACTION WHAT THEY WERE LEARNING. BOTH TEACHERS AND OUR STAFF WERE DELIGHTED TO RETURN TO THE BECHTEL FAMILY CENTER FOR OCEAN EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP THIS FALL FOR FOLLOW-UP SESSIONS AS THEY LEARNED FIRSTHAND HOW TO INSPIRE THEIR STUDENTS THROUGH PROJECT-BASED SCIENCE. IN THE FALL, WE ONCE AGAIN OFFERED OUR POPULAR OCEAN PLASTIC POLLUTION SUMMIT. THE ACTION-BASED YEARLONG PROGRAM MOTIVATES 3RD TO 12TH GRADE TEACHERS TO INSPIRE THEIR STUDENTS TO BECOME PART OF THE PLASTIC POLLUTION SOLUTION. THROUGH HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES, TEACHERS STUDY THE SCIENCE BEHIND PLASTIC POLLUTION, DISCOVER PROJECT IDEAS FOR THE CLASSROOM, AND LEARN HOW TO EMPOWER THEIR STUDENTS TO REDUCE PLASTIC USE IN THEIR HOMES, SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITIES. TO REACH EVEN MORE EDUCATORS, WE CREATED A SELF-PACED ONLINE VERSION OF THE SUMMIT, WITH 65 EDUCATORS FROM 18 STATES AND THREE COUNTRIES TAKING PART IN 2021. EMPOWERING EMERGING TEEN AND YOUNG ADULT LEADERS COMMITTED TO BOLSTERING TEENS' KNOWLEDGE AND CONFIDENCE THAT THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, WE OFFERED INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS FOR TEENS DURING OUR CLOSURE. THIS ENGAGEMENT MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO RESTART OUR POPULAR TEEN CONSERVATION LEADERS PROGRAM WHEN WE REOPENED IN MAY. THE TEENS WERE THRILLED TO BE BACK AT THE AQUARIUM, HELPING TO INTERPRET EXHIBITS FOR OUR GUESTS AND AIDING OUR STAFF IN ANIMAL CARE AND OTHER BEHIND-THE-SCENES WORK. WE ALSO PILOTED A NEW ONLINE WORKSHOP THAT FEATURED THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN OCEAN RESEARCH, WAYS TO MAKE SUSTAINABILITY AND CONSERVATION EQUITABLE AND USING ART TO PROMOTE OCEAN CONSERVATION. TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION FIELDS, WE LAUNCHED A NEW PAID INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. TWENTY COLLEGE STUDENTS IN ALL, WITH SIX WHO ARE ALUMNI OF OUR TEEN PROGRAMS, ENGAGED IN INTERNSHIPS THAT RANGED FROM WORKING WITH OUR VETERINARY TEAM TO CREATING VIDEOS ON SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES TO HELPING CARE FOR OUR PENGUINS AND OTTERS TO CREATING AN ONLINE PROGRAM THAT BROUGHT TEENS TOGETHER FROM ACROSS THE U.S. IN SUPPORT OF OCEAN CONSERVATION.

CONSERVATION AND SCIENCE COSTS OF $6,993,878 REPRESENT EXPENSES FOR MARINE POLICY AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS, THE SEAFOOD WATCH PROGRAM, AND FIELD RESEARCH. AROUND THE WORLD, WE'RE DRIVING THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY TO OPERATE IN OCEAN-FRIENDLY WAYS - ENGAGING BUSINESSES AND GOVERNMENTS, INFORMING SEAFOOD PURCHASING, AND RATING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF FISHING AND AQUACULTURE PRACTICES. AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS, WE'RE ADVANCING POLICIES TO PROTECT VULNERABLE OCEAN HABITATS, REDUCE PLASTIC POLLUTION, AND PROMOTE OCEAN-BASED CLIMATE SOLUTIONS. AND WE'RE CONTINUING OUR LEADING ROLE IN THE RESEARCH, RESCUE, AND RECOVERY OF SOUTHERN SEA OTTERS IN CALIFORNIA. WE'RE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS WITH YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT. REDUCING OCEAN PLASTIC POLLUTION IN THE SUMMER OF 2021, WE LAUNCHED A CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT FIVE PIECES OF CALIFORNIA LEGISLATION THAT WOULD HELP TACKLE OCEAN PLASTIC POLLUTION. WE ASKED CALIFORNIANS TO URGE THEIR STATE LEGISLATORS TO SUPPORT THE BILLS THROUGH AN EASY-TO-USE PLATFORM AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE. WE ALSO ADVOCATED DIRECTLY WITH DECISION-MAKERS. WHEN THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE PASSED ALL FIVE BILLS AND GOVERNOR NEWSOM SIGNED THEM INTO LAW, CALIFORNIA MADE SIGNIFICANT STEPS TO REDUCE OCEAN PLASTIC POLLUTION, WHICH WILL INFLUENCE OTHER STATES AND COUNTRIES TO FOLLOW OUR LEAD. WE ALSO CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN AND APPLY EMERGING RESEARCH ON PLASTIC POLLUTION TO INFORM OUR POLICY WORK-THIS YEAR OUR CHIEF CONSERVATION & SCIENCE OFFICER MARGARET SPRING CHAIRED A COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS TO PRODUCE A REPORT ON THE U.S. ROLE IN GLOBAL PLASTIC WASTE, RELEASED BY THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE IN DECEMBER. REMOVING PLASTIC FROM OUR STORE AND CAFE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE AQUARIUM HAS WORKED WITH OUR RETAIL AND CULINARY PARTNER, SSA GROUP, TO ELIMINATE SINGLE-USE PLASTIC PACKAGING FROM THE PRODUCTS WE SELL. WE ENCOURAGED VENDORS TO MAKE CHANGES TO THEIR PRODUCTS. MANUFACTURERS RESPONDED, REMOVING SHRINK WRAP FROM THEIR PUZZLES, REPLACING PLASTIC WITH SEWN-IN EYES ON THEIR PLUSH ANIMALS, AND MAKING OTHER MODIFICATIONS TO REDUCE PLASTIC. NOW, AFTER YEARS OF HARD WORK, THE AQUARIUM STORE IS FREE OF SINGLE-USE PLASTIC PACKAGING. AS THE AQUARIUM MADE THESE RETAIL CHANGES, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND COMPANIES HAVE REACHED OUT TO ASK HOW THEY CAN REDUCE PLASTIC, TOO. ADVANCING SEA OTTER RECOVERY CONGRESSIONAL INTEREST IN THE LONG-TERM RECOVERY OF THE SOUTHERN SEA OTTERS HAS PROMPTED THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF SEA OTTER REINTRODUCTION INTO HISTORICAL AREAS OF THEIR RANGE. DUE TO OUR ESSENTIAL ROLE IN SEA OTTER RECOVERY EFFORTS, INCLUDING OUR PIONEERING WORK TO SURROGATE-RAISE ORPHANED PUPS, WE TOOK PART IN WORKING GROUPS TO HELP DEVELOP THIS CRITICAL COMPONENT TO FEDERAL PLANNING EFFORTS. ESSENTIAL TO OUR WORK TO RECOVER THE SEA OTTER POPULATION IS TRACKING AND OBSERVING SEA OTTERS IN THE WILD. TO IMPROVE OUR ABILITY TO TRACK SEA OTTER MOVEMENT AND SURVIVAL, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS AT NASA AND THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY TO CREATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF ELECTRONIC TAGS. AFTER PLACING PROTOTYPE TAGS ON RESCUED SEA OTTERS, WE TEST THEM TO ENSURE THE DESIGN WITHSTANDS SALT WATER AND CHEWING BY STRONG SEA OTTER TEETH (WHILE NOT HARMING THE OTTERS). TO UNDERSTAND THE FACTORS BEHIND THE SUCCESS OF OUR SURROGACY AND REINTRODUCTION PROGRAMS, WE PUBLISHED A STUDY THAT DOCUMENTED THE MOVEMENTS OF 52 ORPHANED PUPS WE SURROGATE-REARED AND RELEASED INTO THE WILD DURING THE PAST TWO DECADES. WE FOUND THAT ACCEPTING THEIR NEW ENVIRONMENT QUICKLY IS KEY FOR SEA OTTERS TO FIND FOOD AND MAINTAIN THEIR WEIGHT IN THE WILD. MAKING PROGRESS ON SEAFOOD SUSTAINABILITY OUR SEAFOOD WATCH PROGRAM CONTINUES TO PRODUCE ESSENTIAL INFORMATION TO DRIVE IMPROVEMENTS IN SEAFOOD SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS THE GLOBE. OUR ASSESSMENTS AND THE RESULTING RATINGS ARE USED BY MAJOR CORPORATE SEAFOOD BUYERS, RESTAURANTS, CONSUMERS, PUBLIC OFFICIALS, AND OTHERS TO INFORM BUYING CHOICES, IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, AND POLICY GOALS AROUND SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD. TO ADVANCE OUR WORK, WE DEVELOPED PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE DATA TOOLS THAT ALLOW FOR TRACKING OF PROGRESS AND PRIORITY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT. WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND TO IDENTIFY ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY RISKS OF U.S. OFFSHORE AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT TO INFORM POLICIES IN CONGRESS AND THE ADMINISTRATION. ANTIBIOTICS IN AQUACULTURE WE'RE WORKING TO IMPROVE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF AQUACULTURE, WHICH NOW EXCEEDS WILD-CAUGHT SEAFOOD IN THE GLOBAL MARKET. ONE BIG CHALLENGE: THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS TO PREVENT AND TREAT DISEASE AND PROMOTE GROWTH. WHEN RELEASED FROM AQUACULTURE PONDS, ANTIBIOTIC RESIDUES CAN HARM THE ENVIRONMENT AND OCEAN HEALTH, INCLUDING BY ALLOWING THE SPREAD OF ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT MICROBES. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE NO GLOBAL STANDARDS REGULATING ANTIBIOTIC RELEASE, NOR ARE THERE UNIFORM PROTOCOLS TO ASSESS THEIR EFFECTIVENESS OR ECOLOGICAL IMPACT. IN 2021, SEAFOOD WATCH HOSTED SEVERAL WORKSHOPS, BRINGING REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE WORLD BANK, LEADING EXPERTS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY, AND FARMERS IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES TOGETHER TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT BEST PRACTICES, AND TO DEVELOP TOOLS AND METHODS TO ASSESS THE IMPACTS OF ANTIBIOTICS USED IN AQUACULTURE. THIS YEAR WE ALSO ADDED ONE OF CHILE'S MOST PROMINENT FARMING ASSOCIATIONS TO OUR ONGOING PROJECT IN THE COUNTRY, AND COLLECTED DATA ON ANTIBIOTIC USE FROM 97 PERCENT OF THE INDUSTRY TO QUANTIFY THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM. WE'RE COLLABORATING CLOSELY WITH OUR CHILEAN PARTNERS AND SHARING WHAT WE'VE LEARNED. THIS SUPPORTS OUR GOAL TO HELP CHILEAN SALMON PRODUCERS CUT ANTIBIOTIC USE BY 50 PERCENT SO THEY CAN ACHIEVE AT LEAST A GOOD ALTERNATIVE RATING BY 2025. TAKING STEPS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE A RECENT PUBLICATION, AUTHORED BY AQUARIUM SCIENTISTS, MAPS CLIMATE DISPARITIES BY LOOKING AT WHERE HEAT-TRAPPING EMISSIONS ORIGINATE IN RELATION TO WHERE TEMPERATURES WILL CHANGE THE MOST. THE STUDY ILLUSTRATED THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS IMPACTING MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES WITH MORE SEVERITY, REINFORCING THE NEED FOR GLOBAL COOPERATION. OUR LONG-TERM RESEARCH ON WHITE SHARKS IS ALSO HELPING US LEARN ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE. USING DATA THEY COLLECTED OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, OUR SCIENTISTS PUBLISHED A STUDY THAT CONFIRMED THE INCREASED PRESENCE OF JUVENILE WHITE SHARKS IN MONTEREY BAY DUE TO WARMING WATER FROM CLIMATE CHANGE.